(a little entry from my personal journal)

I just learned the secret to parenting…

Sometimes you’re about to have a PROFOUND conversation and you’re at the park swatting bees. You just wouldn’t expect it. A grandma there with her grandkids was about to tell me the secret to parenting, but first we had to get rid of a pesky bee that was swirling around ready to attack. She’s highly allergic to bees, I find out. So I try to help. The darn bee keeps going after us. And then it just flies away leaving the two of us standing there.

So we start to chat. Somehow we land on the topic of her other grandchildren (not the little ones at the park), but a granddaughter and grandson now grown adults. The granddaughter just finished a dual PhD in bio chemical engineering and is only 27 years old. She recently married a man who also has a PhD. They met while both working on their PhDs in Delaware and are now working toward medical breakthroughs that could change the world. The grandson also has a degree in chemical engineering and is making a six figure income right out of school. The grandma spoke of them in such high regard. 

Well of course I’m going to put my nose in her business and ask the big question: WHAT WAS THE SECRET TO GETTING KIDS TO TURN OUT LIKE THIS? The kids are just so driven and they have a passion for life, she explained. How did they turn out that way? I just had to know. I had to make sure I was doing the same things. I want my kids to be successful and confident – as children and especially as adults.

Well, here was her answer – straightforward, no nonsense advice. The children had three things. 1. Parents completely devoted to them. 2. Discipline. They had consequences and had expectations. And 3. Education. The parents made sure they had good schooling and emphasized its importance.

Wa-la! This has once again confirmed to me the importance of solid parenting. It is not our job to make our kids happy all the time. We need to hold them to a higher standard. Education is so important! And well, like most moms I know, I’ve devoted just about every second to them. Even when I get to take a break, I’m still thinking of them. You know, like when you go to dinner to get away from the kids and all you do is talk about them. Yeah, that’s me. I sure hope I get this all right!

What a neat grandma I met today. She taught me a big lesson in simple terms: Two kids making history because of devoted parents.