Similarities between writing and parenting

My son and I had a “discussion” the other day about his lack of gratefulness. I searched all morning for an item he wanted with no luck. Rather than a thank you, I got teenage attitude! It got me thinking how similar parenting is to writing. Both can be very frustrating! However, here’s why I keep going:

Although parenting and writing take time, patience, and perseverance, the rewards far outweigh the work.

When I received my first rejection from an editor, I was ready to throw in the towel and quit. My husband took me aside and reminded me I achieved my goal—I had completed a novel. Whether this editor liked my book didn’t matter. I needed to be thankful for her feedback and use it as an opportunity to grow. I corrected my mistakes and sent the book out again and again, each time honing my craft until the day I received a contract. If we expect our children to be grateful, then we must model the behavior.

In addition to gratefulness, my husband and I teach our sons to have values they are willing to defend, to stand up for what they believe, and to stand up for others who can’t defend themselves. My personal blog, 2Wrds, is a collection of encouraging and inspirational stories that model this behavior for my kids. Blogs like Choose Kindness, Show Respect, and Be Bold express these values. Our writing gives us the opportunity to outwardly express the character values we want our children to emulate.

When my twins were little, a friend gave me some valuable advice. She noticed I was inconsistent with my rules. I tolerated a particular behavior one day, then disciplined it the next. Her advice? Consistent discipline! In much the same way, writing requires consistent discipline. Writing is a solitary skill, which for this extravert takes an extra dose of persistence! I force myself to stay the course and to write even when there are one hundred other things I’d rather do. When our children see our dedication, they are more likely to follow our example.

In what ways do you find parenting and writing similar?