Stained Glass Perspective
Jul 17, 2026 · 7 min · 6 segments
Lessons I learned from handling stained glass and how they apply to parenting.
- Speakers
- DanaHost
- Top entities
- Stained glassAmazon.com×2New York×2Volkswagen
Jul 17, 2026 · 7 min · 6 segments
Lessons I learned from handling stained glass and how they apply to parenting.
My mom was rather enterprising as I was growing up.
In fact, it was not uncommon for her to learn a new skill only to make it profitable within a few months.
From macrame to cross stitch, my mom was always engaged in a project and a sale.
Once again, she turned her talents into a small business.
As her business was gaining traction, my mom would occasionally drive to New York City to pick up the sheets of stained glass that were needed for upcoming orders.
She was usually gone only a day or two, gathering supplies in the Big Apple.
However, once I heard the distinctive sound of our Volkswagen van pulling up in front of our house, I rushed outside to welcome her home panels of glass.
I remember being in our van following one of her trips, nervously trying to carry out one of the delicate panels when my mom firmly stated, if you're too careful, you'll break the glass.
I was struck by her comment, yet I've never forgotten her words.
While my mom's counsel seemed rather counterintuitive at the time, she was actually right, not that I ever doubted.
Being too careful when handling glass often leads to the carrier being overly timid or tense in an effort to avoid dropping the piece of glass.
If you grip the edges too tightly or too rigidly in order to support the glass, the added stress placed on those points can cause the panel to flex and even snap.
However, a confident, balanced approach prevents both strain and fatigue.
Ironically, overthinking the process can increase the chances of a slip-up.
While this is sound advice for anyone preparing to handle a sheet of colored glass, somewhere along my journey as a mom, I realized this counsel applies to parenting as well.
Being too careful in this role can cause our children to view us as being timid and ineffective as parents.
We can also become overly tense by the thought of slipping up and failing our children.
If we have too tight of a grip when we're raising our children, or if we're too rigid in our approach with them, the stress between parent and child can cause one or both of us to snap.
By developing more confidence in our parenting skills and being more balanced in our approach with our children, we can actually than adding strain and fatigue to our relationship.
My mom was rather enterprising as I was growing up.
In fact, it was not uncommon for her to learn a new skill only to make it profitable within a few months.
From macrame to cross stitch, my mom was always engaged in a project and a sale.
Once again, she turned her talents into a small business.
As her business was gaining traction, my mom would occasionally drive to New York City to pick up the sheets of stained glass that were needed for upcoming orders.
She was usually gone only a day or two, gathering supplies in the Big Apple.
However, once I heard the distinctive sound of our Volkswagen van pulling up in front of our house, I rushed outside to welcome her home panels of glass.
I remember being in our van following one of her trips, nervously trying to carry out one of the delicate panels when my mom firmly stated, if you're too careful, you'll break the glass.
I was struck by her comment, yet I've never forgotten her words.
While my mom's counsel seemed rather counterintuitive at the time, she was actually right, not that I ever doubted.
Being too careful when handling glass often leads to the carrier being overly timid or tense in an effort to avoid dropping the piece of glass.
If you grip the edges too tightly or too rigidly in order to support the glass, the added stress placed on those points can cause the panel to flex and even snap.
However, a confident, balanced approach prevents both strain and fatigue.
Ironically, overthinking the process can increase the chances of a slip-up.
While this is sound advice for anyone preparing to handle a sheet of colored glass, somewhere along my journey as a mom, I realized this counsel applies to parenting as well.
Being too careful in this role can cause our children to view us as being timid and ineffective as parents.
We can also become overly tense by the thought of slipping up and failing our children.
If we have too tight of a grip when we're raising our children, or if we're too rigid in our approach with them, the stress between parent and child can cause one or both of us to snap.
By developing more confidence in our parenting skills and being more balanced in our approach with our children, we can actually than adding strain and fatigue to our relationship.
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