One of my favorite subjects to talk and write about is Intention. Our intention toward any subject or aspect in our lives is the most powerful tool we have. This is because our intention is what I like to call the “Rocket Fuel” toward our desires. Intention creates powerful energy behind our ideas and this energy propels us toward our goals.

Our intentions are sometimes conscious and deliberate and sometimes they aren’t. For example: if we get up in the morning, dress and get ready for work, we don’t necessarily think about the fact that we are intending to get to work that day. It is a more unconscious intention and therefore the energy behind it isn’t very powerful.

However, if we deliberately and consciously intend something, put thought into it, make plans and fully believe we can have or achieve something, the energy behind this intention is incredibly powerful. This is the kind of intention we want to have in our parenting.

Have you intended the kind of parent you want to be, or the relationship you want to have with your kids? Have you started this powerful energy moving toward what you want to experience? It’s never too late to do this, whether you start when they’re born or when they’re teens.

When my three children were little, I was slightly terrified as to the way in which I would raise them and there were many unknowns. I had my own ideas about how I wanted them to be, and the relationship I wanted to have with them. I observed my friends who had much older kids and loved how they related to each other.

I knew I couldn’t leave our relationship and my general parenting to chance, so it became clear what I wanted to do. I had been using strong intention successfully in my life up until then and I knew how powerful it was. I was going to have to intend the relationship I wanted to have with my kids to have the greatest chance of getting what I wanted.

I used a notepad and I started to write down the aspects of what I intended with my parenting.

~ To have a close and loving relationship which would last a lifetime, and be stronger than any hardships we would have along the way.

~ To be fully present and listen with my heart.

~ To foster a spirit of cooperation between us.

~ To take care of my needs so I was completely able to care for theirs.

~ To maintain a playful attitude so my parenting could be fun.

~ To expose them to new ideas and experiences as often as possible.

These are just a few of the intentions I had as I was raising my children. You can have fun creating your own list.

How would I know if I was moving in the direction of what I intended or away from my intentions as my kids were growing up? I would know by how I felt when I experienced an event with them that tested any one of these intentions. If I felt positive emotion, then I was moving toward my intentions and if I felt negative emotion then I was moving away from my intention.

For example: If I had the intention of being fully present with my kids and I found myself starting to be distracted from what they were saying or doing more often than not, I would notice this and not feel good about it. This was my indication that I was moving away from my goal and I could then consciously make a new choice.

Parenting is a life long experience with many variables. We have the ability to create this ongoing experience and outcome with our strong intentions. There will be times we forget our intentions and times we revel in how powerful we are in creating the kind of parent we want to be.

Please feel free to comment.

© 2015.  Sharon Ballantine.  All Rights Reserved.