There is a clock that started ticking the day your child was born. In fact, there are less than a thousand weeks from the time a child is born until they graduate from High School.
As you count down the weeks you have remaining with your child, here are some general numbers to get started.
1 yr old > 884 weeks, 2 yr old > 832 weeks, 3 yr old >780 weeks, 4 yr old 728 weeks,
5 yr old > 676 weeks, 6 yr old> 624 weeks, 7 yr old > 572 weeks, 8 yr old > 520 weeks
9 yr old > 468 weeks, 10 yr old >416 weeks, 11 yr old > 364 weeks, 12 yr old > 312 weeks
13 yr old > 260 weeks, 14 yr old > 208 weeks, 15 yr old > 156 weeks
16 yr old > 104 weeks, 17 yr old > 52 weeks 18 yr old > several weeks
EVERY WEEK MATTERS!
Consider this: The amount of hours of each day a parent has to invest in their kids relationally, reduces drastically with every passing stage.
You will spend at least 12 hours a day with a preschooler. 6 hours a day with elementary age kids. 4 hours a day with a middle schooler. 2 hours a day with a high schooler.
As you can see, the window of opportunity closes fast.
Let's take a look at parental influence opportunities each day and at each stage.
Preschoolers > 12 Hours > Morning Time, Drive Time, Meal Time, Bath Time, Cuddle Time.
Elementary > 6 Hours > Morning Time, Drive Time, Meal Time, Bed Time
Middle School > 4 Hours> Morning Time, Drive Time, Meal Time
High School > 2 Hours> Morning Time, Meal Time
At some time, each week the opportunity is there to show up and do life with your child.
The best way to shape a child's character + faith is through small consistent deposits. There is no such thing as instant return on faith or character. We keep so busy and never engage in "the parent work" that has lasting impact. We get so preoccupied with what we can measure that we don't give attention to what we can't measure.
Truth is..you can't monitor emotional growth because it is gradual. That's why showing up each week matters. Keep investing in what you can't see. Being present for what you are not sure is happening, trusting that your investment will ultimately see a return.
If you want your child to grow up with a healthy sense of worth, direction, perspective, belonging, significance and connection, you need to be intentional about what you do over time.
Visualizing time can help you emotionally, mentally and practically, helping to prioritize what really matters. A countdown jar can make a difference. Consider this project.
Using 2 clear vessels fill one up with pennies, marbles or popcorn seeds representing the actual number of weeks you have left with your child. You will need a vessel for each child. Refer to the week chart at the top of this post . Then start a simple ritual: removing one object each week and depositing it into the second vessel. Over time, the practice of taking from one vessel and making deposits to another will remind you to value your time. It will reinforce a simple principle that when you see how much time you have left you tend to do more with the time you have.
Perhaps at the end of the week, a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of family could happen as you move your objects and make deposits.
When the second vessel is full from the weekly deposits, share the process with your child in the form of a letter mentioning that the jar represents weekly morning times, meal times, drive times, bath times, cuddle times and attach it to the vessel. On the child's "leaving" day to wherever it may be, send it with them.
OR......take your CUE every week to stop, look and listen, making your time together with your kids count. Does this mean you have to make each second count? Or turn every minute into a teaching opportunity? NO! However, if you want to build a meaningful history with your kids, you have to be part of what happens during their week.
A peek at next week. >>>> We will explore how to create a weekly rhythm for your family to be intentional about shaping their future. When you connect positively in the Morning time, you can instill purpose and give fuel for their day.
For digging deeper take a look at www.JustAPhase.com
