I live in the racing capital of the world, Indianapolis. In several months, the buzz in this area will be all about the Indianapolis 500…one of the biggest racing events in the world. There is also another major racing event which happens about 90 minutes south of here in Louisville, the Kentucky Derby. There is a lot of hype and excitement surrounding both races and a lot of preparation involved. It’s amazing how much time is spent preparing for the Kentucky Derby, which is a race that lasts only two minutes. While the Indy 500 lasts a couple hours, significantly more time is spent preparing for the race in order for teams to do their best.
The time with our kids is similar. Almost every parent who has children older than mine says the time we have with them goes by way too fast. This means we have to do our best to spend our most important years of fatherhood preparing them to run their race in life. So, for the time leading up to their race (life without us), we have to take an Indy 500 and Kentucky Derby mindset. Let’s spend plenty of time teaching, training, and preparing them to do their best in life. To that end, here are 5 ways to prepare your kids for life.
1. Prepare them to have great relationships.
We are relational beings. Throughout your kids’ lives, they’ll have many different relationships—romantic, friendly, professional, and more. Prepare them by teaching them to respect others and make relationships a priority.
2. Prepare them to excel in their education.
We are continually learning. Things are constantly changing with and around us. Teaching your kids to value their education and instilling a love of learning will prepare them to learn, grow, and adjust to anything. Prepare them to seek learning opportunities in everything.
3. Prepare them to have healthy lives.
Your kids’ health will have a huge impact on their life. Unfortunately, health seems to be the last thing on a young adult’s mind. They feel and look good now, so what’s the big deal, right? Wrong. The habits they form now in relation to their health and physical condition will impact their future. Prepare your kids to embrace physical activity, good eating, and sleeping habits.
4. Prepare them to excel in their professional lives.
We live in a right now society that looks to make things easier. Sometimes it can be hard to find an example of a good work ethic. Teaching your kids to work hard early will create the habit. In addition, teaching them about business, finance, and having the responsibility of caring and providing for themselves will be a big benefit.
5. Prepare them to have a strong spiritual foundation.
While in your house, your kids have your influence and protection from things which are outside of our values and spiritual beliefs. But when they begin to run their own race, they are subject to all types of spiritual beliefs and value systems. Prepare your kids to not only have a firm foundation but to also share their spiritual beliefs with confidence and without judgment of others.
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What do you think it takes to be successful in something?”