Preparing the Child
By: Rebecca Little, Elementary School Principal
A quote that is stated often within the walls of our school is, “Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.” It is worth our time to unpack this timeless quote and evaluate how we are doing.
FORMATION OF HABITS
We can all agree that, on the road of life, we will always have potholes, speed bumps, and roadblocks, and children will need to have the experienced tools to use when they approach these obstacles. At Perimeter School, it is our hope and desire that we are assisting and partnering with parents in preparing students in many areas of life. One area that is foundational is the habits that we teach. We all form habits whether good or bad. We want to instill strong habits that are useful in their education and for life. Cultivating good habits is one way of preparing your child for the road.
LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE
Another area that prepares children for the road is learning through experiences and mistakes. Even as a baby, this process begins. As a parent of a newborn, you want your child to reach the milestones of sitting, crawling, and walking, but each of these actions carries the possibility of him or her falling and experiencing some pain. The same mindset should continue as children get older. They will make mistakes, unwise decisions, struggle with friendships, and even experience failure because of their brokenness and sin. Some of these hardships will come with consequences and others with hurt and disappointment, but what may be best for them is to let them fall and even fail when we desperately want to soften the blow or catch them. If we are always trying to smooth the path so they do not have to feel the pain or discomfort of a situation, we are missing great opportunities to mentor and teach through the eyes of Christ and His love.
A question to ask yourself … “Wouldn’t you rather have walked with your child through a struggle or failure so that they know better how to navigate the hole in the road the next time it comes … which may be when they are no longer under your roof?” I think all of us would say, “yes!” to that question. Praying for your child to get “caught” in sin or for God to give you the courage to allow them to reap the consequences from a lack of discipline or poor judgment is a hard prayer to pray … but such a blessing overall. You are then given a teachable moment that hopefully will prepare them for the next crisis life throws them.
TEACHING THEM JESUS
Of course, the biggest responsibility in preparing our children is teaching them Jesus. God has blessed us with children. They are gifts that we are to love, teach, and discipline. We know that, ultimately, they are His children that He has so graciously given to us to enjoy with each having his or her own journey to travel. Our charge from God is to teach them about who He is and what He has done for us so that they will become godly adults that will teach it to their children and their children’s children.
While preparing our children for the road of life, it is imperative that we model a life dependent on Him, especially when we too experience the difficult roads. They are watching and learning from how we respond to hardships and hurt. He is the one who rescues us and redeems us from the miry pit. He is our strong tower and place of refuge. He is our strength when we are weak. He is our living hope!
May we look to Him for wisdom, discernment, and guidance as we do our best to prepare our children for the journey God has set BEfore them.
Lastly, I would like to recommend the following resources: