Protecting and Preparing Our Kids
A lot of people ask me, “are you sheltering your children?”
I say, “yes, actually, I am in some ways”.
Adam and I believe that as parents, it’s our job to expose our children to things that will build them up, challenge them and help them learn, while we simultaneously protect them from the darkness in the world.
Our decision to homeschool was partially based on this, for example. My 7-year-old doesn’t need to go to public school and then potentially be shown pornography by a friend who has a phone way too early. My son is too young for that. He doesn’t need that in his life!
As parents, we shelter our children from things they aren’t mature enough to say no to, to run from or to look away from yet.
They don’t understand that at their age so we protect them from it and prepare them for when they face these things in the world.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2
My boys need to be in nature using their hands and creative juices. They need to learn from and be educated by their mom and dad rather than by the gross stuff that many school systems are pushing to kids these days.
We are currently exposing our children to so many cool, rad, good things that are edifying and leading them to be strong, capable, beautiful humans.
At the same time, we can’t hide under a rock our whole lives as Christians.
Adam and I want our kids to learn to be lights to a dark world. We have to teach them to have the strength to be in the world, but not of it.
Here are some questions to help you decide what to expose your kids to and what to shelter them from:
- Is this building them up, helping them learn new skills or developing their character?
- What are the risks of this situation? Are they mature enough to see what’s right and wrong and make God-honoring decisions in it? Or will they get sucked into something negative without even realizing it?
- Will this point them more towards Christ?
- Will this help them develop their empathy and understanding for others?
I’m cheering you on today to think about what your child really needs.
Protect them from what they don’t need and focus on preparing them to be beautiful, God-fearing humans that engage with the world and the people around them well!!
