Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with some parents of high school students about the role they can play in helping to manage their children’s dreams. The following are three of the suggestions I offered:

1. Discuss. Have frequent conversations with your kids, even when they are elementary age, about your kid’s dreams. What is it they want out of life? Help them see that God has an incredible plan for their life (Jeremiah 29:11). What would they like to do vocationally? Naturally, this may change 50 times before they really know their dreams. Don’t miss out on the journey. Talk about it, these early and frequent conversations help set the stage for you to be heard as you offer input when they are older.
2. Observe. What natural talents, abilities and passions do you see in your kids? Take note of what they do well and what they really enjoy. Each of us is created wonderfully unique. Pay close attention to the natural abilities and passions God has given your kids. People’s dreams usually fall within an area of gifting and passion.
3. Expose. As your kids begin to verbalize their dreams, look for opportunities to expose them to people who are living that dream. If your daughter wants to be a doctor, see if you can arrange an opportunity for her to shadow a doctor one day. What a great way for her to get a closer look at what her dream looks like.

There are many things as parents that we can do or say that fuel or could snuff out our kid’s dreams. An excellent resource is The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly.

What are you doing to be your family’s dream manager?