I remember the not so distant past where I would wander the church halls or stand back in what I call "Dad's Corner" (you know that corner in Sunday School and Sacrament, the one where all the Dad's are trying to give their wives a few hours of sanity) - I did not actually enjoy being a parent then.
Yes, my children were special to me. No, I did not know what to do with them. I used to get angry at people that would come over to offer more of the never-ending, unwanted advice. The ones I grew most tired of, were those that told me I would miss the days of diapers and vomit and screaming.
Truly, I don't miss it at all. Nope, not even a bit. It's a lie - the baby years are not the best of my parenting time, they were the penance I paid. My kids are awesome to hang out with now as they can speak their minds, express interests and learn new things with me. I sincerely look forward to their older years as well, I have fond memories of doing many things with my parents in my teen years and hope to make similar memories with my children.
The Foundation
I think (purely theory as my oldest turns 9 this year...) that by learning to do the little things now with my kids, I will have a relationship that will support communication with them in their teen years.
My wife and I were talking the other night how our kids tend to bombard us with menial announcements such as:
"I have a pink sheep on Minecraft!"
or
"I beat my Transformers score by 20 points!"
Naturally, they pick ideal times to reveal the life changing milestones, like when I am on the phone with a client or my wife is debating a fallacious charge on our medical bill (seriously, check your medical bills, we find many on them).
Of course, my wife and I see how minuscule such accomplishments are - all adults should have actual achievements that have increased value to self and community. My children, on the other hand, are not capable to distinguishing life's accomplishments and entertainment in a game at this point, however. They are the same thing.
This is why it is important to put these laughable announcements at the forefront of our day. I enjoy saying prayers with my kids at night as they take me through the magical day of discovery they just had. Such a precious view they have - everything is new and innocent.
Why it Matters
Children are now being exposed to serious issues at my children's ages - pornography, language, violence & other satanic goals are glorified by our culture as we rabidly banish Christ from it. Their tender minds and emotions are not yet ready to process all that is in our culture, but our society does not care. The children are the next line in this cultural war - following the teachings of Hitler, those that stand against family and religion seek to warp the next generation's minds and turn them on their parents.
I don't know what lies ahead in their lives, but I know that if I don't show to them that every accomplishment in their life is valid to me, they will not be comfortable in speaking with me when something is embarrassing or shameful. Consider the implications of teaching your child that something he achieved is not as relevant as your current task - how will that child feel when he feels he has failed? Will he be comfortable in speaking with you or will he assume you are too busy to help him?
How are we any better?
As with all things, God & Christ are the supreme examples. How are we any different than our children to Him? How minuscule are our concerns and accomplishments compared to what is on His agenda? With having a universe to run, He still makes time to hear our prayers and comfort us in times of need. He guides us through our options in life, not because they are significant - but because we are significant.
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