Best Self Atlanta: The Messiness of Motherhood
Best Self Atlanta
We asked Michelle Taylor Willis, mom of four boys (ages 22, 14, 12 and 9) and author of the new book “Raising Significance: A Guide to Raising Independent, Well-Rounded and Confident Kids,” to share her thoughts on parenting during the COVID-19 crisis. Here’s what she had to say.
“During this time, we can learn where our kids’ passions and talents lie, how they learn, and how they feel and emote. We can truly relearn these little beings, inside and out, if we ask questions and pay attention. Our kids will tell us a lot about themselves. We’re getting an ample amount of time to spend and learn from our children now, so we can see where their strengths and area of opportunities lie. We can then use this info to develop their strengths and show we’re interested in the things they are. It might also spark some independence in them!”
“We are our children’s leadership team, their CEOs. The best leaders develop the best leaders. So if you aren’t developing your children into the best leaders, start now.”
“Train your kids to listen to you. Teach your kids to work independently of you but under your management. Teach them how to think, not do.” She adds, “We have a unique time to really lean into our kids right now. Once they go back to school and we go back to work (if that ever happens), we’ll think of all the time that we had with them that we wasted. You often hear older parents talk of the times they lost when their kids were little and they were working. How awesome is it to be able to have the opportunity to reverse that trend? To say you had years to wake up, have breakfast with your kids and help them with schoolwork while they were in the room with you or near you … we can’t squander these moments.”