Working Class Parenting: Motivation, Education and Inspiration For Parents

Growing up there was two distinctive toys a boy would have; Transformers or G.I. Joe’s. Some may want to add in Lego’s or Star Wars, but these two were my staple with G.I Joe being my toy of choice. I would scrape every penny and would cry, if needed, to get my hands on an action figure. Ten figures turned to fifty and fifty soon turned to 120. I would live vicariously through these guys. They had the coolest military outfits and the latest and greatest weapons. I would plan elaborate battles, buildings, bunkers and hand sown sand bags (no judging please). I would strategically place every soldier and its foe some where in the room. All poised for battle. I spent a many hours screaming, Goooo Joe (fist pump)! Not really, but you get the picture. To this day as a 37 year old father of two, one a ten year old boy, everything about me is a covert operation type play. Man hunt, paintball, air-soft, working out, etc. you could say, my toys reinforced a personality trait or help create one. ...

Our kids are going to fail at something, at some point in time, they will fail. That is just the cold hard truth, but if we want them to get back up after the fall we, as parents need to make sure to help build their confidence up too. We do this with Faith - Faith in God Faith that next time things will be different Faith that there will be a next time and Faith that not matter what we, The Parents, will always love them They are going to fail, we all do, Make sure you teach them to get back up and if they drop their confidence hand it back to them "They are happy parents who have shown this way to their children, without weakness or compromise, but with a goodness so like that of God that, in their worst difficulties, they can say humbly with tremendous confidence, "I shall rise up and go to my father; I shall rise up and go to my mother; and through them, I shall go to my Father in Heaven." How many young people have lost the Faith, not from having fal...

My wife asked what is " Humble Confidence "? I told her it is one of the 5 principles of Working Class Parenting. 1- Education 2- Family Finance 3- Faith and Compassion 4- Love and Discipline 5- Humble Confidence She said "That's great, but what IS....Humble Confidence?" I tried to explain that it is when parents teach their kids to be confident (Believe in themselves and who they are), but at the same time be humble (to know it's not all about them and they are not better or above other people). Found a good article by  Pastor Cecil Thompson about this subject and I like the scripture he starts with. Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV) I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. That is Humble Confidence. ...

I’ve always been the more right brained one in the relationship. I love a challenge. I crave spontaneity and enjoy the uncertainty of flying by the seat of my pants. Oh, did I mention I’m slightly competitive? My lovely and very left brained wife, is as I call her, my Jiminy Cricket, the brakes and the voice of reason, in the whirl wind of my right brained mind. I have great ideas daily. Some are brilliant world saving, much needed antidotes, while others have been considered as dumb as jumping off the roof in a spider man costume. That’s a story for another time. So when I mentioned I wanted to do a 5k, 15 obstacle mud run as a family, I was given the “What you talking bout Willis” face and abruptly told no. I really thought this would be fun for the fam. After a month of persuasion, I convinced my wife and 14 year old daughter to run with me. Unfortunately my 10 year old son was to young. The rut of everyday life becomes mundane and an unnecessary evil on the working class familie...