How Do You Feel About Your Parenting Prowess?

Click here for a printable version of this post.

Sarah here. We focused on parenting style in last week’s blog. Today, we’re focused more on self-perception. The Fall and Winter holidays are a time when we often get introspective: asking ourselves what we are thankful for, considering all the blessings in our lives and the like. So, this week, we wanted to change gears and help guide some of that introspection into a practical parenting exercise.
 
I will confess that when the phrase “parenting prowess” popped into my mind months back, I immediately questioned my word choice.  Oxford Languages defines prowess as: “1. skill or expertise in a particular activity or field; 2. Bravery in battle.” I was delighted to discover that my gut led me in the right direction- prowess is exactly the word I meant. Parenting prowess is your skill or expertise as a parent. It’s your bravery as a parent in the face of challenges, conflicts, and daunting tasks.
 
With that in mind, read through the questions that follow. There are no right or wrong answers. Just notice what thoughts come to mind after you read each question. If you’d like, you can jot down your answers, but no pressure.
 

• How do you feel about your parenting in general?
• Is “expert” a word that you would use to describe yourself as a parent?
  • It need not be that you feel like an expert as a parent in general/across the board. For example, maybe you are an expert at managing mealtime stress or an expert at getting your child to do their homework.
• How savvy are you as a parent? In other words, how’s your parenting common sense, know-how and judgment?
• How do you feel about your in-the-clutch parenting? How do you handle critical moments and tough decisions as a parent?
  

Now take a moment to notice how you approached these self-reflection questions. Did you think of specific examples or focus on your general sense of yourself as a parent? How did you feel when reflecting on these questions? Did you feel energized? Were you proud? Nervous? Did you feel stressed by the activity? Your process and feelings may give you some additional insight into how you feel about yourself as a parent.
 
And speaking of how you feel about yourself as a parent, let’s return to the idea of parenting prowess. Are you an expert in managing your family? Are you a sage parent? Are you a warrior or a strategist on the battlefield of life? Are you a diplomat who keeps the peace within your home? The idea of parenting prowess is entangled with self-confidence. How confident are you in yourself as a parent? If your answer is anything less than “very confident,” then know you’re not alone. We’ve got you and—spoiler alert—next week’s blog will give your confidence a boost! In the meantime, give yourself a little shot of confidence and notice examples of your parenting prowess over the next week.

Click here for a printable version of this post.