More is Caught Than Taught

The responsibility of parenting can be daunting.  Diapers, sleep deprivation, potty training.  Nurturing, meals, laundry, sleep training.  Cleaning the house - oh, the house! - tauntrums, defiance.  Finally mastering one stage right before they move on to the next one.  Keeping them alive.  Character and spiritual development, kindness.

Daunting.

Enter authentic learning.  There are countless opportunities every day for kids to learn.  We just have to know how to grasp them - simply.

In addition to academics, here are some of the things I want my kids to catch:


Your siblings are your best friends.  You will always be able to rely on each other for whatever you need, and you will treat each other kindly.  Friends will come and go, but you will always be connected to your siblings.

Words matter.  Relationships are built and destroyed by words.  Mean what you say.  The way you say something also matters.

Failure is okay.  Human perfection this side of heaven is impossible.  We learn more from failing than if we were successful the first time.

Respond, don't react.  A response is carefully thought out and contributes constructively to the situation instead of a reaction, which just adds fuel to the fire (nothing positive).

Take initiative.  Be kind, but don't be a doormat.  You can be assertive and kind simultaneously.

Learn how to learn.  Discover the strategies that help you learn the best.  Once you know these skills, you can learn just about anything,

Relationships are difficult but worth it.  Human relationships will never be perfect, but we can do our best with each other by lifting others up through encouragement and sticking around when things get tough.

Get to know people who aren't like you.  Even if it's uncomfortable.  Others have different experiences than you do, and they can add so much to your life.

Know God in His Truth and Grace.  God is holy, and we are not, which is why He shows us grace through Jesus.  Live in the balance.  Understand that you cannot work your way to heaven.  There is never anything you can do to earn salvation.  It's only through Jesus.  Then why obey?  We obey out of gratitude for what He has done for us and because we love Him.

Again, this task seems daunting at times.  What other influence will have more impact than their life at home with us?  These little lives are too precious to let those moments go by the wayside.

So I will look for the moments.  And do my best to grasp them.