How to transform into The Amazing SuperParent!

I know a genuine super mom. She always looks great and is never frazzled by her children.

Her younger kids never act up. They love to take naps, never have to be told to pick up after themselves. They never squabble, never spill their freshly squeezed orange juice or drop their 100% organic food on the spotless shiny floor. The older ones always come home early, do homework without prodding, always speak respectfully to adults and love to help around the house.

I know that sounds unbelievable but this is a real person. And that is exactly the way her children are – at least that is how she assured me her kids would act, before she actually had any.

Then came the real kids and the real world.

As a young Dad I quickly discovered kids are like kryptonite. It’s easy to be SuperParent if they aren’t around. But as soon as a KryptoKid shows up super powers fade and you’re left helplessly gasping for air desperately trying to escape their clutches.

If your KryptoKids have sapped all your super powers I have some great news for you.

1. It’s OK to not be SuperParent.

There has never been a perfect parent. Adam and Eve probably came the closest but one of their boys murdered the other. The only hope we mortals have is in a Super God and His Super Grace.

The fact that you’re reading this tells me you want to be a good parent and are investing the time to get better. Just that means you are probably already ahead of the curve. So be encouraged. God sees your heart and will honor you for it

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.   Psalm 37:4

But no matter how much you learn you still won’t have all the answers. You’ll never get it all figured out. Much of the time I was just muddling through.

There were times Jana and I had no idea what to do. All we could do was pray and trust God, knowing He cared even more about our kids than we ever could. Like everything else in the Christian life, when we confess our weakness He delights to show Himself strong.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”     2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

God is able even though you and I are not.

2. It does get better.

I’ve lived long enough to look back and see there is hope in your future. Your kids will grow up. They will stop the endless squabbling. They will pick up after themselves. They will become civil human beings. In our case none of this happened until after they moved out on their own but, … hey, … it did happen.

Your days of being a helpless weakling surrounded by living Kryptonite will come to an end and one day you will regain your super powers.

That happens when you are transformed into a true SuperHero – A Grandparent.

Once again you’ll become an expert who knows everything. You may even start a parenting blog sharing your infallible wisdom with others.

Hang in there. It does get better. By faith, keep investing into your kids even if sometimes it feels like you are pouring precious seed into an empty hole. Your best days are still ahead and God will guard that seed and make it grow at the proper time.

“There is hope for your future,” declares the LORD, “And your children …   Jeremiah 31:17 (NASB)