Inconvenience: The Price of Good Parenting

My father, now a grandfather to seven, was reflecting recently on his own journey as a parent. He said, “By far, the hardest part of parenting for me was consistency. If it’s wrong today, it’s still wrong tomorrow, even if following through with the consequences for my child does not fit the schedule.” And it’s true—the bedrock of good parenting is consistency, and consistency is often ridiculously inconvenient—to the parent!

Good parenting is work, and doesn’t go away when we’re tired or over-scheduled. So when you’re at a parenting crossroads, you may be asking, “Is it really worth the inconvenience to me to: take away his cell phone, ban her from the computer, or keep her home from the sleepover?  Most of the time, the answer is yes. So stick with your parenting plan, even if it means you’re the one who’s inconvenienced.

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