11.16.2010

Train Up a Child

I got a call from a friend that I hadn't seen in awhile. We chatted and started discussing homeschooling and the public schools. She's a single mom, and her kids go to public school. She has become very concerned with the types of books that are given to her children, and how things are being taught at such a young age. She told me that her child's Science teacher had given her daughter a book to read, and it had very inappropriate "bedroom scenes" for her young 6th grader. I applauded her for being a parent who takes the time to check her child's books, before allowing her to read them!

As parents we struggle with so many things. Should we stay home with them or bring them to daycare? Should we put them in private, public, or homeschool? Will my child have the grades to get into a good college? I think many parents focus on the wrong things when it comes to our kids. We are so worried about getting them involved in activities and making sure they are "well rounded," that we forget what is most important. It's not necessarily where we put our kids in school, how many activities they are involved in, or how amazing their grades are. The most important factor in your child's life is you! Where you lead your child is where they follow. Do you lead your children to church or does sports, dance & music dominate your child's schedule? Do you go to church yourself, or do you drop off your children to attend activities, and then go off and get some shopping done?

The thing I find fascinating, is that parents want the church to teach their children. What the parents fail to realize is that a child follows the parents, not the church. Working for a church daycare for years, I quickly found out that parents would bring their troubled children to me, hoping that just being in a church would "fix" their problems. But, let me tell you, a child can spend 10 hours/day with me, and spend 3 hours/day with their parents, and yet, they will follow their parent's teaching, not mine. The amount of time a parent actually spends with their child is small when you factor in school, sleep, and extra curricular activities. Yet, what the parents do with their children in that small amount of time, can determine the child's path for eternity.

Growing up, I went to public school. I had to deal with all the pressures of smoking, alcohol, and boyfriends, just like everyone else. The difference between me and some of the rest of the kids, was my parents. I had very strict, Godly parents who would make sure I was in church whenever that door was open. But, just going to church is not what kept me on the straight and narrow. It was my parents, not only being an example by going to church with me, but being a Godly example at home. Kids see everything! If you are going to church and acting one way, and coming home and acting another, which way do you think they will follow? They see right through your bluff, even if others don't. My parents lived and breathed Christ. They were the same at home, as they were at church. Now, I was a very busy girl in High School, and I was gone all the time. But, even though I rarely saw my parents, the small amount of time that I spent with them, I always knew where they stood. After years of watching them, I made sure to never miss church, and made it a priority, just as they had always taught me to. No matter how hard the pressure of school and life became, I always knew where to draw the line, for my parents had shown me since childhood.

So, what are you like at home, when it's just you and your kids? Remember, they follow you....Are you leading them towards, Christ?

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

2 comments:

  1. I know I have not always been a perfect example, but I have tried my very best to set a Christian example for my kids. I know pride is not such a good thing, but I do have to say I am proud of my kids. They saw me go to church every Sunday, even though their Dad did not. They saw me stay up late and still get up for church. They saw my tears and my struggles and my request for prayers. They all go to church, live good Christian lives, and even have the next generation attending church and talking about Jesus!!! Nice to see your blog up and running!

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  2. I think you are a fantastic mom, Carol! You were always one of my favorite teachers!

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