How child raising is like NASCAR racing.

“Driving a race car is like dancing with a chain saw,” quipped former NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough. If that’s true, then parenting is like dancing with a chain saw held by a toddler! Certainly, NASCAR is challenging. But raising kids is no Sunday drive in the country, either. Fortunately, basic racing principles can keep parents from skidding into a wall.

Find a good sponsor. DuPont, Coca-Cola, Goodyear and many other companies sponsor NASCAR teams. The sponsor provides the resources necessary to the team’s success. The sponsor’s name is written all over the car, leaving no doubt to its identity.

We must also settle the issue of sponsorship in our lives. None of us has the resources to complete the race on our own. Do you belong to Christ? Has He written His name upon your heart?

Assemble your team. A typical NASCAR team may have more than 25 people, including the pit crew and support staff. If we are to succeed in the parenting race, we also need a team. Your spouse should be the most important person on your team. Relatives, friends, baby sitters, teachers and the church are also essential team members.

Get ready to race! All NASCAR races begin with a “rolling start,” meaning the cars are already in motion. Isn’t that just like becoming a parent? The “green flag” drops when the doctor announces, “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!” The race has begun, and there’s no turning back.

Maintain a good balance. When a driver doesn’t oversteer or understeer but goes around the racetrack as if on rails, he is said to be “in balance.” This speaks to me of discipline. Some of us have a tendency to oversteer and may be too controlling. Others of us understeer and are too lenient, not setting healthy boundaries for our children.

Find your groove. The NASCAR Dictionary defines groove as “the most efficient or quickest way around the track for a particular driver.” Child rearing involves many gray areas and uncertainties, so rather than compare and judge, let’s encourage one another, even if someone else has chosen a different lane around the track.

Take frequent pit stops. Drivers know the necessity of a well-timed pit stop. They must refuel, change worn tires and make other adjustments to ensure optimum performance. We, too, need to take breaks to let the Lord refill us through worship and His Word. Spouse date nights and weekend getaways are also important.

Walk away from your crashes. While watching a NASCAR race recently, I witnessed a car skid off the track, fly into the air and land upside down. Amazingly, the driver was unhurt. The TV network, however, took time away from the ongoing race to replay the crash over and over.

Don’t we have a tendency to do that with our own blunders? We all make mistakes; don’t dwell on them. Get up and dust yourself off. Confess any known sin, accept God’s forgiveness and get back in the race.

Enjoy the finish. When the checkered flag finally waves, the winner of the NASCAR race takes a victory lap. Then he heads to the winner’s circle, where he parks for the celebration. What is the finish line for parents? Someday our kids will grow into young adults, graduate from high school or college and head out on their own. After a brief victory lap and celebration, we will move from the driver’s seat to a seat in the stands, cheering our kids on as they begin their own race.

(This article first appeared in the Parents edition of the September, 2008 issue of Focus on the Family magazine. Copyright © 2008 Shelley Lloyd Smith. All rights reserved.)