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No one begins building a house without giving serious consideration to the plans for building it. The plans serve as directions for how the house will be built, where each room will be located, how big the rooms will be, and what materials will be used in constructing the house. Within the plans are additional plans for the foundation, electrical wiring, plumbing, flooring, wall materials, lighting, roofing, etc. that make it clear to the builders just how the contractor or the owner wants the finished product to look. Those plans call for careful thought about how and where each feature of the house will be and how it will look as well as an estimated budget for building the house. Even with those clearly and carefully designed plans, there are flaws in materials and sometimes even in workmanship due to human error and frailty. Nothing that is manmade is perfect, and it can never be perfect.
No one begins building a house without giving serious consideration to the plans for building it. The plans serve as directions for how the house will be built, where each room will be located, how big the rooms will be, and what materials will be used in constructing the house. Within the plans are additional plans for the foundation, electrical wiring, plumbing, flooring, wall materials, lighting, roofing, etc. that make it clear to the builders just how the contractor or the owner wants the finished product to look. Those plans call for careful thought about how and where each feature of the house will be and how it will look as well as an estimated budget for building the house. Even with those clearly and carefully designed plans, there are flaws in materials and sometimes even in workmanship due to human error and frailty. Nothing that is manmade is perfect, and it can never be perfect.
Creating and rearing children should receive intense and intentional planning before, during, and after the birth of the child. This planning should begin with an idea of the purpose for the family and for the child. From that sense of purpose should emerge a plan for the growth and development of the child as a contributing member of the family.
Creating and rearing children is not always planned and even when parents prepare for the birth of a child, rarely do they take the time and actually plan and write down their plans for rearing the child. Many parents have indicated that they do not have a written plan, a plan that someone else could pick up and implement in the event of a catastrophic illness or even death. Most parents have ideas about how they would want their child to be reared, but no one to date has acknowledged having a written plan for their child. Just like in building a house, there are plans, parents need specific plans for what they would ideally like to see happen in the lives of their children that will help them grow and develop into successful adults.
The Intentional Parenting Plan
The Intentional Parenting Plan (TIPP) is the beginning of such a plan for parents as they work to rear their children. I truly believe that each parent does the best that he/she knows to do with their child. They do the best with the knowledge, understanding, and faith that they have. When more knowledge is gained in a particular area, parents begin to make the necessary changes that are in the best interests of their child. Many times because of a lack of understanding, parents, like other humans, sometimes make choices and decisions that are not in the best interests of their child. These decisions sometimes send the family spiraling out of control or at least in an undesirable direction, and it takes months and sometimes years for the family situation to be remedied and reconciled in meaningful ways that turn around a poor decision.
TIPP is an attempt to help parents think, reflect, and make thoughtful decisions through planning ahead for what they want to see happen in the life of each child; that is, before a decision is made about the rearing of the child. This is not an easy task, nor is it one that should be taken lightly or done in haste. Thoughtful planning and decision-making requires a combination of close self-examination, prayer, knowledge, and insight into human nature. These are all aspects of life that affect who we become as we interact with others in the world. In other words, there are no easy answers and there is no single answer that will work for every child or family. Even children within the same household will have differing emotional, spiritual, educational, physical, and disciplinary needs that parents will need to consider as they develop and write their child-rearing plans. As you think and plan for rearing your child, explore whatever is Godly.
Veda McClain, author and parenting coach
