Cultivating Purpose in Your Children

Purpose is the reason for which a thing or a person exists. Biblically, every person has an innate purpose that was designed before we were ever born. It's unfortunate that many people either never discover their purpose or waste years of their lives before beginning to discover it. Purpose is more than just finding meaningful work; it's about living a meaningful life.

Wherever you are as an adult on that journey, I believe that you can guide your children to discovering their purpose early on.

Why it matters:

Having a sense of purpose and meaning contributes to one's confidence, provides a sense of direction and is a protective factor against hopelessness. Further, life is about more than work and home. Finding a satisfying career is great, but what else do they have or contribute to the world that they can be proud of? Yes we want our children to be financially stable, but we also want them to enjoy the lives they build. That comes by helping them know how to "fail forward." By assisting your children in discovering their purpose, they will face many situations and trials that are great preparation for the real world. They learn valuable lessons like determination, and resilience all while becoming more self-aware. Lastly, purpose helps our children avoid the many trivial distractions that life will ultimately throw their way. Purpose is way too important of a conversation to rush for the last year of high school prior to graduation.

So let's talk about what to do to help your child discover their purpose.

1. Get involved in their interests

   1. Learn more about what your child has an interest in. Don't interrogate them, but step into their world and spend time allowing them to teach you.

2. Encourage and invest in the development of their talents.

   1. Help your child develop their gifts by finding coaches, studios, lessons or whatever else they need to pour into their natural talents. Consider special arts or science schools to support those interests.

3. Encourage them to think beyond their talents to their values and causes they care about

   1. It's not enough to just do something we are good at. We want our kids to be passionate as well.

4. Allow them the freedom to explore while holding the boundary of commitment

   1. It is normal for kids to be all over the place with multiple seemingly unrelated interests. Lean into that in their younger years from elementary into middle school. However, over time we want to teach resilience and commitment by helping them stay dedicated to a hobby or two. They don't have to love it forever, but help them learn how to stick out challenges by finishing off a sports season or committing to an instrument for a designated amount of time before calling it quits.

5. Show up and support them!

   1. Your presence as a parent will always be one of the most important and meaningful things you can do in your child's journey to discover their purpose. Show up and support at their recitals, games, plays, and competitions as long as you can. Even your moody teenager is likely looking for you in the crowd.