Have you ever looked at something your child said or did, and wonder how they could have done that or said that particular thing? Have you ever questioned your parenting because of that?

Or how about the opposite scenario? Has your child ever done something so spectacular that you wondered where they learned it?

Parenting comes with a series of ups and downs as we raise our kids. The fact is, kids change. And they often do it pretty fast.

For example, I see one of my kids in serious danger of developing a sense of entitlement. It seems as if she thinks that the world revolves around her, and anything that goes against her own ideas causes her to throw a major fit. I often wonder where I failed, and where she would have learned such a behavior. I know I have the same temptations, and I know she learned that from me. But I also know that I see this issue in my life and work hard to correct it.

I wonder if I’ve failed my daughter.

But then she does something that completely blows me away. Just the other day, I took her to get her ears pierced. She’s been begging me for this for a while, and we finally set aside a time to do it.

After her ears were pierced, and I’d paid for it, we started to walk away. My daughter stopped with a look of complete shock on her face, and said, “Hold on! I forgot something.”

I thought she’d left her purse or something behind.

But, no. She ran back to the counter and took the time to specifically thank the lady who pierced her ears.

That was a proud moment for me as a dad. It made me realize that perhaps my efforts weren’t completely wasted as I struggled to battle the entitlement rampant in our culture and in our lives.

Here’s my point. Our kids change. And they often change quickly. We shouldn’t be too discouraged by what we see in our kids’ actions or character on any given day. Chances are, it will look different tomorrow.

So we should rejoice some. We should mourn some. But we should do both with restraint. Because our kids are growing and learning and changing.

Your role, and mine, is to keep plugging away at being the best dad we can be, teaching our kids what they need to know to successfully navigate the cultural waters of their lives.

Dads, don’t feel too discouraged, and don’t develop a false sense of euphoria. Kids change. Help them grow as they change.

Be deliberate, Dad!

Have you had those moments of horror and/or pride in your kids? What happened? You can leave your stories in the comments section below.