The Right Track: Parenting is hard. I know this. Does the GOP?

Millions of kids in Texas and around the country went back to school this week. As my first born, now a 6’4” senior, went to his first day of high school for the last time, I felt emotional. I can feel that kite string loosening and the winds picking up. 
I read recently that almost 60% of the adults ages 18 to 49 who don’t have children decided they did not want to have them. The Republican Party doesn’t seem to understand that, but I do, and I think their messaging should be more empathetic. Parenting is hard, expensive, time-consuming and scary.  
My son is a good kid – funny, smart, optimistic and hard working. I didn’t know what I was doing when he was an infant – born in the middle of the toughest recession in decades.  
Parents now are burdened by a struggling economy and the high costs of food, housing and college. I share these concerns. All parents feel the weight of different problems. We have it easy compared to some. 
There are things the Republican Party could advocate for to help families, which might influence more adults to have kids. 
Even something like de-regulating small businesses, so they would be better able to provide paid parental leave, would be a powerful thing for families. 
Committing to less government spending to push down inflation would help average families make ends meet.  
Daycare continues to be a huge obstacle many families face, but I’m not sure the government can provide a solution. I suggest moms and dads lean in to industries that allow for flexible and remote work, but that’s not always possible. Just remember parents: Employees are ubiquitous; only you can be your child’s mom or dad. 
In the end though, parents need to focus only on those things they can control, like their budget, location, values, how and what they teach their kids, and the kind of emotional, physical and spiritual foundation they choose to provide.  
That is the real work of parenting, which many adults might not want to take on. But it is also in this same work that I’ve found real joy. I’ve loved being a mom through firsts, lasts, mistakes, regrets and accomplishments.  
I have not been perfect by any means, but I have approached parenting with a lot of intentionality. When my son was little, I vowed to parent in such a way that when he was older, I could genuinely say I savored every moment and did all I could to be the best mom I could be.  
We’ve spent the last 17 years playing, talking, laughing, crying and praying. We do homework, boat on the lake, get ice cream, take trips, clean the house, snuggle with our dogs, go to church and try to love God and each other well.  
One more year with my oldest, and then it’s time to let the kite string loose. If you’re experiencing this too and you’re feeling a bit nostalgic, overwhelmed, excited and anxious, drop me a note at [email protected].