AlignMENt: What are you talking about?

Everyday we talk to our kids about big things and small things, important things and silly things.

 Have you ever taken a step back as a parent and really analyzed what you talk about with your kids?  I am talking about breaking it down and literally doing almost a word count on the topics you talk about. 

A few months ago, I took a step back and realized that the vast majority of what I talked about with my 17 year-old son was sports.  Now, we both love sports, so it is not surprising that sports was an easy thing for us to talk about.  I had to take a hard look at myself and ask, “Are conversations about the Bulls or Twins really the most important thing you want to impart your son?”  The obvious answer is no.

Since that time, I have been much more conscious about the topics I talk about with him.  I want to impart knowledge and wisdom on educational, spiritual, political and even dating topics.  I have done much more of this and I have found that our relationship has been significantly enriched and we still have time to jaw about sports.

On this blog, I am constantly talking about “what we focus on will grow” and it is really true.  The real question is what lasting messages do you want to focus on and impart to your kids?