We have all heard the saying, “Don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill.” But, do we effectively integrate that into our parenting styles?

In my perfectionist, OCD, gotta-have-everything-organized world, it seems that I often miss the mark.

-I am often obsessing over the bed being made correctly versus lying in it with my daughter have a “girl” chat.

-I am often more concerned about the dirty dishes spread throughout my home and “who didn’t clean them up!” than I am the meal that could have been prepared together with my teens discussing their day.

-I am too often concerned about the grades on the report card and what they scored on a test than I am if they are genuinely learning the material and growing into a place of maturity as young people.

And do you know what I have discovered? I am increasingly aware that my teenagers will be leaving for college sooner than later. And once they have gone, they will likely graduate college, get married, and never live in my home again.

This parenting time is fleeting. And when my children reach eighteen and become high school graduates, I don’t want them speeding from the driveway, praising God they don’t have to live in my home another second.  I want them slowly driving away with tears in their eyes, because they, too, realize that it is the end of an era.

Jennifer Maggio is a critically-acclaimed author and sought-after speaker who has been featured on more than 100 radio and television shows. She is founder of The Life of a Single Mom Ministries and has a passion to see every single mother connected in a local church. She currently runs one of the nation’s largest single mom support groups. For more info on Jennifer, visit http://www.jennifermaggio.com.