Friday, July 20, 2012

Do Your Kids Know Who They Are?

"The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him."
 - Pablo Casals

I volunteered at Vacation Bible School yesterday and worked with a group of 4 year olds. In addition to needing a strong cup of coffee and a nap when I was done, the topic of children got stuck in my head. When there's a topic on my mind, it usually ends up here on my blog (some topics have to be edited so you will keep reading).

You already know that I'm a passionate person. When I sink my teeth into an issue, I don't let it go. Have you seen my posts on friendship? :-) And I'm not done with that category yet. Just letting some ideas simmer. But I digress . . . .

So one of the things I'm passionate about is for every child to know who they are and who they are not. I'm convinced that this knowledge will make a huge difference in their lives and in the lives of their parents. I know we all parent/have parented/will parent differently. But the ideas in my head seem to be pretty universal. I can't wait to hear what you think!

I figured that I would start with the idea of kids knowing who they are. If my kids are confident in who they are, they will be better prepared to stand up to all that this world will throw at them. Peer pressure should be less of an issue because they will already know their worth and not need to be like everyone else. I say "should" because my oldest is 10. I'm just now getting into the world of peer pressure and the temptation of needing to be like everyone else. Like every other mom, I'm learning as I go.

My boys watching new construction start in our backyard
So what do I want my kids to know about who they are?
  • I want my boys to know that they are a very important part of our family. My guys are a member of Team P (what I call us when I'm being corny - which is most of the time). Without them, our team isn't complete. We need what they bring to the table - even though they all bring something different. Some of my boys are athletes, and one is an artist, but they are all equally critical to the make up of our family. They need to know this! When the world tells them that they don't rate (middle school, anyone?), I want them to know that they are very valuable here.
  • I want my boys to know that they are important to God. He made them with all their talents, gifts, and personality on purpose. He has a purpose for them, and they matter greatly to Him.
Imagine a child who walks through life knowing who he is to God and who he is in his family. His confidence will be strong and healthy, and his approach to life will be to take on life’s challenges with out fear. I want this for my boys.

So how do DH and I attempt to pull this off? I had originally planned to include the things we do, but this post is getting really long. So I'll ask you. How do you teach your children who they are? When it comes to your children knowing who they are, what is important to you? I would love to hear from you.

I promise to give you some ideas of what we do next week.

Have a great weekend!!



I'm linking this post with my friend Paloma's Coffee Friday. Go visit her, and tell her I sent you.



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