Ok, so I know I've been slacking lately, but here it is, the last post of 2011...
I hope you will come back in 2012 to see how things are progressing in my step-parenting journey. Like with most everything else in life, we learn from our experiences. Hopefully, I will not make the same mistakes next year, but I'm sure I will have new challenges.
My stepson just turned 16 and my stepdaughter will be 15 in the spring. They're not really "kids" anymore, so they'll be facing new challenges as well. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new year has in store for them and I hope I'll be able to help them along the way.
A stepparent's job is difficult to define and even harder to perform successfully. We can't really be their parents and we aren't supposed to be their friends. We're not blood relatives, but we ARE family. In a perfect world, we wouldn't even exist. But here we are, trying to educate like teachers, encourage like friends, and love like parents.
I'm reminded of seed, time, and harvest. Our seed is the effort we put forth to enrich the lives of our spouses' children. In time, we will reap the harvest, which hopefully will be abundantly blessed relationships with people who will be better for having known us.
Showing posts with label teach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teach. Show all posts
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Back to School
It is so hard to believe that both of my stepkids are now in high school! They've really come a long way since I first met them at the ages of 4 & 5. But for all of the things they have learned over the years, there are so many more that they'll need to learn before they become adults.
I want to cram all of life's lessons into what little time they spend with us because I realize that it won't be long before they'll be "on their own". Unfortunately, my opportunities to teach are hampered by the fact that the kids have entered that stage of life where they don't seem to want to be taught--at least by grown-ups, that is.
I know that from this point on, most of what they learn will be from their own life experiences and from the school of hard knocks. Hopefully they won't get too many bumps and bruises along the way. And hopefully they will remember some of the important things we taught them during their visits with us.
Before they venture out into the real world, our stepkids should know that we are interested in what they are learning, both in school and in life. Though our time with the kids may be limited, stepparents can help their spouses by getting involved with schoolwork and extra-curricular activities, especially when their natural parents are unable to do so. Maybe when the kids are grown, they will remember that we were there for them and that we helped them become respectable, well-equipped adults.
I want to cram all of life's lessons into what little time they spend with us because I realize that it won't be long before they'll be "on their own". Unfortunately, my opportunities to teach are hampered by the fact that the kids have entered that stage of life where they don't seem to want to be taught--at least by grown-ups, that is.
I know that from this point on, most of what they learn will be from their own life experiences and from the school of hard knocks. Hopefully they won't get too many bumps and bruises along the way. And hopefully they will remember some of the important things we taught them during their visits with us.
Before they venture out into the real world, our stepkids should know that we are interested in what they are learning, both in school and in life. Though our time with the kids may be limited, stepparents can help their spouses by getting involved with schoolwork and extra-curricular activities, especially when their natural parents are unable to do so. Maybe when the kids are grown, they will remember that we were there for them and that we helped them become respectable, well-equipped adults.
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