Be Like Water: Parenting Lessons From Friday Traffic

Yesterday, I was on my way to help a client, and I found myself in the middle of Friday traffic. Picture this: multi-lane road narrowing down, bumper-to-bumper, cars crawling like we were evacuating the coast before a hurricane.

To my right, a man in one of those giant “soccer mom” SUVs (you know the kind: big enough to haul a whole team plus snacks) decided his lane ending wasn’t his problem. Instead of slowing down, he pushed forward, aiming for the six inches of space in front of me.

At first, I thought maybe he didn’t see me. I tapped my horn. He looked straight at me…and kept coming.

I had a choice:

• Hold my ground and risk a wreck.
• Or yield, let him in, and keep moving forward.

Most of us think strength means holding our ground. But sometimes, real strength is in yielding. Bruce Lee said, “Be like water.” So I flowed. I let him in. And I kept the bigger mission intact.


Now, Think About Parenting

Parents, you’re me in traffic. Your teen? They’re the SUV driver.

• They’re figuring out how to merge into life.
• They don’t always consider who else is on the road.
• Sometimes, they’ll push in without signaling, without asking, and without realizing the consequences.

And you? You’ve got the choice. You can hold your ground, clash with them head-on, and risk damage to the relationship. Or you can adapt, show patience, and guide them forward.


Parenting Lessons From Friday Traffic

• Adaptability matters. If you never bend, every disagreement turns into a collision.
• Consideration creates safety. Teens need to learn to pause, signal, and think about others.
• Empathy prevents crashes. Remember, they may be rushing because of pressures you don’t fully see.
• Strength is in restraint. Sometimes yielding doesn’t mean losing, it means keeping the relationship intact while still teaching the lesson.

Parenting isn’t about bulldozing your way through every conflict. It’s about balancing firmness with empathy, and knowing when to stand strong and when to flow.

Because the goal isn’t proving who’s right. The goal is helping your child learn how to merge safely into adulthood.

Parents, be like water.

​

---