Parenting With Intention

What's Down Here? A Parenting Game That Could Change Everything

I’m terrible with directions. I mean, really terrible. If someone tells me to turn right, I’m most likely going left. It’s practically a family joke by now. But one day, while driving my kids around and realizing I’d gotten us completely lost (again), I decided to spin it into something fun.

“Let’s play the ‘What’s Down Here?’ game!” I announced.

At first, it was just a way to calm my little ones down, because, let’s face it, mommy was lost… again. But surprisingly, it became more than just a way to keep the peace during car rides. It turned into a running joke that we still laugh about today, even though my kids are adults now. The “What’s Down Here?” game became a funny little reminder of how life can sometimes feel like a series of unexpected detours.

But it also got me thinking, what if we applied this idea to parenting itself? Are we playing a version of the “What’s Down Here?” game when it comes to raising our children?

In business, we’re taught the importance of setting clear goals. We write mission statements, analyze yearly goals, and spend endless hours crafting vision statements to guide us. But when it comes to our families? We often just wing it. Why is that?

The Center for Brain Health actually points out that setting goals lights up our prefrontal cortex, and as we accomplish those goals, dopamine is released, rewarding us with that satisfying feeling of success. We do this in nearly every part of our lives: work, health, personal development. Yet when it comes to parenting, many of us seem to fly by the seat of our pants.

But what if we didn’t have to?

Parenting with Intention: What’s Your Family’s End Goal?

I’m a firm believer that parenting with the end in mind makes all the difference. But how do we even begin to do that? It starts with intention.

Take a moment to think about the future of your child. What do you really want for them as adults? Do you want them to be responsible? Compassionate? Resilient? To have strong work ethics and deep, meaningful relationships? What kind of adults do you want them to become?

By answering these questions, you’ll begin to form a set of core values for your family, a sort of blueprint for your parenting journey. This is the first step in being intentional. When life feels like a whirlwind, having these core values in place offers you clarity. It becomes your guiding light through the chaos.

The Power of Core Values: Your Family’s Compass

Once you’ve identified these core values, you’ve essentially created a compass for raising your children. These values become the foundation for everything, your discipline, your teaching moments, even the way you handle conflict. You can say, “In our family, we believe in [insert core value],” and use that as a clear, consistent reference point when things get tricky.

This doesn’t just help you navigate parenting; it also teaches your children what your family stands for. And as they grow, these values will help them develop their own sense of identity. Eventually, they’ll carry these lessons into adulthood and even pass them on to their own families one day.

Why Intentional Parenting Matters

Let’s face it: raising children is one of the most important jobs you’ll ever have. It’s also one of the hardest. So, why not make it intentional?

Knowing your family’s core values helps ground you. It provides focus and clarity amidst the daily hustle and bustle. It makes you feel less like you’re just reacting to whatever life throws your way and more like you’re actively shaping the future of your children, with purpose.

So, Where Are You Headed?

Don’t just drift through your parenting journey, reacting to whatever comes your way. Instead, take a moment to pause and think about the path you want to carve. Parenting with intention isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being present and purposeful. It’s about setting a course that leads to something meaningful.

Just like that “What’s Down Here?” game we used to play in the car, parenting with intention means you’re always asking yourself: “Where are we going next?” It’s not just about enjoying the journey, it’s about knowing where you’re headed and what you want to create along the way.

So, take the time to decide where your family is going, and then, together, go there with purpose. Because the road to raising responsible, compassionate, and resilient kids isn’t about just taking a wrong turn and hoping for the best. It’s about navigating with clarity, one step at a time. And in the end, it’s the journey with intention that will matter most.