Lessons on Parenting - Part 2 of a 2-Part Series

Last month, in Part 1, we shared some of the parenting lessons we’ve learned along the way—things we could have done better, or as we like to call them, “learning opportunities”.

Part 2: This month, we’re sharing our Top 10 Parenting Practices—the approaches and habits that worked well for our family and helped shape who our boys are today.

Here are a few things we think we did pretty well—and love sharing with friends and neighbors who are about to experience the joys and challenges of parenthood:

1. Open a 529 College Savings Account Early
Start as soon as they're born and set up automatic deposits. The growth over time can be incredible, and trust us, a college education costs way more than you might imagine right now.

2. Serve Others 

Our boys learned the importance of service by volunteering alongside us over the years, through Scouts of America, LL and by completing service hours at O'Dea High School. These experiences helped them recognize how fortunate they are and taught them to be empathetic, compassionate, and kind to others.

3. Play Together
Families that play together stay together. Create fun traditions everyone can enjoy. For us, it’s our Skally Olympics, Turkey Bowls, and Friday Pizza Nights. These moments create lasting memories and something to look forward to.

4. Join a Team or Club
Whatever their interests, help them find their tribe and a sense of belonging. Being part of a team or club teaches valuable lessons about communication, relationships, teamwork, and resilience. Baseball taught our boys a ton about winning, failing, and supporting others.

5. Practice Your Faith
For us, faith has been an anchor, our Northstar. Believing in a higher power and practicing the values of our faith has given us guidance, connection, and a shared sense of purpose—even during uncertain times.

6. Open a Stock Account
We opened stock accounts for our kids early on to teach them about investing, interest, dividends, taxes, and the “Rule of 72.” It’s a great way to build financial literacy from a young age.

7. Give Choices
Telling kids what to do often backfired for us. Instead, we focused on giving them choices we could live with. This gave them a sense of control and helped them learn to make thoughtful decisions while learning the pros/cons/costs/benefits of decisions they made for themselves.

8. Get on a Schedule
Routines are a secret weapon. The more consistent the schedule, the more predictable (and manageable) your kid's behavior becomes. 

9. Be Good Teammates
It’s crucial to present a united front as parents. Disagree in private, but stay aligned in front of the kids. If they sense division, the kids will tear you apart and create chaos if they think their parents/guardians are misaligned. Don’t fall for the trap! 

10. Prioritize Date Nights
This one’s huge…don’t lose your relationship in the parenting whirlwind. We’ve seen couples drift apart after the kids leave home. One way to avoid that is by intentionally nurturing your relationship with quality time. We schedule at least one date night a month—because when we didn’t, six months would fly by and we’d find ourselves wondering, “What just happened?”

Well friends, we’ve certainly had our share of wins and opportunities as parents. It can be so amazing and also very challenging. We sure hope these help you in some way as you navigate parenthood.

Until next time, cheers and blessings,

Matt & Christina 

Matt & Christina are Team Skally, top real estate agents in the Seattle Metro with expertise in luxury homes on the Eastside including Bellevue, Newcastle, Mercer Island, Renton and Issaquah. Their client testimonials say it all - they deliver exceptional service and record-breaking results. Recognized as top agents on social media by Property Sparks, Diamond Award winners for best client service, Nextdoor’s Neighborhood Faves and regularly featured in online and print publications including Greet - Newcastle & Newport Hills Magazine. In addition to serving clients, Matt and Christina love family time with their two boys and two Goldendoodles as well as volunteering in the community.