3 Different Hats Every Parent Wears

One of the things that I wanted to talk about that I've kind of just been reflecting on a lot this past week is the ability to be a leader.

In this blog, we’ll talk about the 3 different hats every parent has to wear to create a real impact at home and why it matters as our kids grow.

Being A Protector, Provider, and Leader

I think as parents, we really wear three different hats. We wear the protector, the provider and the leader role. Right. And that's just by that by the nature of being a parent, that is absolutely the titles that we hold in that that we share and that we that we utilize in our lives. And it's important to understand that.

It's important to understand that we are protectors, providers and leaders. And it's important in one of our and one of our programs, one of our parent groups, we had a really, really good discussion about definitions and titles and the different roles that we all play and how those roles are so valuable. 

I remember talking to one of the members in this group conversation where we talked about how sometimes the titles and definitions that we're given, we don't fully embrace a lot of times because we don't understand it or even the fact that we don't really relate to it or even utilize the opportunity to really redefine what these definitions mean for us.

The reason why I bring this up is, because as a protector, as a provider and as a leader in our home, those are titles we have that we own, that we use and we leverage no matter what. There's nothing that we can do that can change that. 

And here's why I wanted to bring this up, because as you guys know, my family, we are really, really big into football, like just American football and really, really big into understanding that and leveraging that and and really applying that.

My son right now, he is playing our middle linebacker. If you don't know anything about American football, they're like the leader of the defense. It just so happened that last week he was actually playing quarterback, which is the leader of the offense.

It was interesting. We were having a really good conversation this past week about leadership and about how just by the default of the position that you play, you're a leader, right? And you look around really any sports. 

In basketball, if you are the point guard, you're looked to as a leader. In football, the quarterback, the middle linebacker, you're looked to as a leader as well.

Baseball, you've got catchers and every sport seems to have that also. Every sport around the world, there are certain positions that no matter what, you're looked to as a leader. And so we had a really, really good conversation about what leadership is and what it looks like and what it feels like and what it sounds like.

And we're and one of the cool things about that is we had a chance to even just look into the scriptures. We had a really good conversation to look into the scriptures even, and to really reference leadership in a lot of different settings, right? In a religious setting, at school, at football, at these different places, and really start to define what it is.

And I challenged him. I said, “Hey, listen, buddy, I challenge you because of the position you play. People look to you as a leader. And I challenge you to be that vocal leader, to encourage, to love, to care, to share with others, and also to call them up. To call them up and to really make sure that they are rising up to their level that we want them to.”

We, As Parents, are Default Leaders

Why do I bring that up? Because as parents, the role that we play, we are by default leaders. We just freaking are and it's our challenge and our opportunity to be vocal leaders inside our family. I see too many parents in my life in a lot of different settings that are just the guys that sit in the back and they're not really intentional.

We've got to be leaders. We've got to step up, we've got to take charge of our families, and we've got to be the ones running out in front and embracing the challenges that are out there because our families will follow in their footsteps. 

So if you're going through anything right now where you're maybe sitting back and you're just not being as intentional, not being as much of a leader as you ought to be, then I challenge you here, just like how I challenge my son, you have to step into that role.

You've got to embrace it. First and foremost, as parents, we are leaders. And as a result, people will look at you. Your family will look to you as a leader, step into that and lead in your own unique way. 

However, that plays out right. The authenticity that you have is real about who you are and redefine what leadership means and looks like in your home.

Embrace that and step into that role. Please do not shy away from that. We need more powerful parents. We need more powerful leaders in each of our homes. 

Guys, I want to challenge you. I want to make sure that that's something that I stand on the frickin’ rooftops and bang my chest about because we need more powerful parents here, parents that are teaching their kids how to be leaders.