Ninja-Level Parenting Skills

Parenting requires a ninja-level set of skills in order to keep kids healthy, happy, and safe. The biblical fruits of the Spirit cover many of them: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Add to the list energy, creativity, and multitasking, and you’re ready to raise a kid.

Parenting doesn’t come with an instruction manual, and the list of preferred qualifications, alongside an endless to-do list, can be exhausting for busy moms and dads. Add a global pandemic to the list, and the life of modern families really starts to heat up.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 says, "Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other."

Who do you know at work, at church, or across the street who is trying to keep it together during the pandemic, and has suddenly been thrust into the role of homeschool teacher and short order cook for the weekday lunch crowd? The usual demands of parenting have increased significantly for many families as Mom and Dad attempt to work under unusual circumstances, while teaching Sally and Sam “new math” and completing art projects and practicing spelling from home.

You’ve probably witnessed a grinning youngster join Mom or Dad for a ZOOM meeting, contributing their two cents and doing their best to capture their parent’s attention while you attempt to plan Q3 marketing efforts, or examine last month’s production numbers.

This is a new level of excitement and disruption none of us planned for.   

So, how can you support heroic parents trying to do it all during the pandemic? Social distancing is keeping us apart, so you may not be able to keep Junior or Jane for an afternoon, but you could: bake a batch of cookies and drop them on the front porch; Send them a board game or outdoor items like chalk, bubbles, and jump ropes; Call or text to ask how they’re doing; Offer to cook them a meal, or pick up kid-friendly fast food; Pray for them - and let them know you are praying. 

If you or someone you love are doing the best you can to raise children in the midst of these strange circumstances, God bless you. This too shall pass! 

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, you know the concerns, frustrations, joys and praises in the heart of every mom and dad. We thank you for the blessings you rain down on us, even in the midst of chaos. Give parents extra energy, patience, and creativity while we sort out the details of our new normal, and bless our children with a sense of calm and cooperation. Amen.