I suppose everyone has their own unique view of parenthood, and what their role is. I would say that usually that view comes from the way you were raised. Since I did most of my raising myself I didn't really have a parent to follow. I had to create form scratch what parenthood should be. I looked at the world around me, the examples of friends and other family members, examples seen in the media, guidance given by LDS church authorities, and educational factors (developmental stuff, and what the professionals say is the best thing to do.) Rob had good parents that taught him, and gently corrected him, so he kinda just figured he would do what they did.
Now I need to make this clear there are a million ways to be a good parent, and just because my opinion and expectations of myself are different than yours may be, it doesn't mean either of us is wrong. We are our own kind of right. We have to figure out what works for us and our children, and move forward in a way that makes us comfortable. Unfortunately Rob's ideal parenting didn't quiet fit with what all my research had led me to. So we talked about it. A Lot! And came up with something that is a bit of both, mostly what I had gleaned from 5 1/2 years of study, because times are different now than they were 20 years ago, and we simply can not follow all the practices of our parents. We must be stricter, more protective, more aware. So although I am always open to suggestions, I think we pretty much got these younger years down.
My question and ultimately my point is how do I be a good parent when my children are grown up and parents of their own? What does parenthood look like when your youngest heads out the door to start their own life?
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