When you’re on the front line
Many of us have frontline jobs that can be really tough. And that can feel hard to explain to our children.
In an episode of the Parenting for Faith podcast, Rachel had some encouragement for front line workers who have to see and do some hard things.
And a reminder of her three points:
1. It’s okay to not be okay. Children don’t need you to be perfect. They need to see how to cope with hard days. You never know what your children will be faced with one day, and by being okay to not be okay, you are giving them that permission and skill for the future.
2. God is co-parenting with you. When you can’t be home, God is with your kids and can help you find creative ways of staying connected emotionally and being impactful spiritually. In episode 15 of the podcast, Rachel interviewed her father, a police officer, about how he did this.
3. Create windows into how you protect yourself. You have had to go on a journey of figuring out how to not let sadness overwhelm you, or how to hang onto joy, or how to leave work at the door, or how to let go of what you can’t control. All of this is gold to a child and teenager. Don’t forget to create windows and frame for your children what you do.
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