Parenting: How Equipped Are Our Children?
On school days, our school-going children spend more than 5 hours away from us.
Some even spend more than 7 hours away from home, Monday to Friday.
And within those long hours away from us, they are inevitably exposed to all kinds of values, thinking, world views.
‘If you don’t get an A, your parents will NOT be proud of you!’
‘If you lie or steal, it is OK, as long as you’re not caught.’
‘If you don’t like someone at school, it is okay to bully them online.’
‘It is OK to not say thank you after getting help/getting a lift.’
‘It is OK to keep on playing with gadgets when adults want to start a conversation with you.‘
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If our children go camping with school, we make sure they’re equipped.
Sleeping bag. Check.
Rain coat. Check.
Spare clean clothes. Check.
We ask questions and make sure our children have all the things that they need to make their camping trip enjoyable and most importantly, safe.
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Do we have the same concern and care when they go out into the world? ie. When they start going to school and being away from us for a long period of time?
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Here are some questions that I hope we all can ponder:
>> After they’re done with school-related activities, where are they, where are WE, and what do they spend time doing?
>> Do we know the kinds of values that they are exposed to? Do we actively guide and correct wrong views, thoughts or behaviours?
(This is only possible if we have positive communication and relationship with them, which we ourselves must encourage and nurture since the day they start school)
>> Do we encourage critical thinking, so our children learn to NOT simply absorb the values around them, but instead, evaluate, analyse, relate and discern, which ones are good and bad, right and wrong, which ones they should follow, and which ones they should disregard.
>> And in relation to the point above, what ‘standard of truth’ do our children have/use? Do we actively instill values daily? If we are people of the faith, do we share biblical perspectives and principles with them, and learn to walk the talk ourselves?
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Just like we would never send our children to camp WITHOUT equipping them well, let’s reflect and evaluate, … see if we have prepared and equipped them too each time they walk out of our home and into the big world.
It is never too late to start.
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May God give us help and mercy, and protect our children every day.
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Photos:
Top photo: On our way to Tebing Keraton, West Java
Bottom photo: Stone Garden, West Java
