Live up to your potential; don’t give up; set goals; be all that you can be.  All good advice to give our children, right?  We really do expect a lot of our kids.  Even before they are born, we start thinking about their futures and what they will be when they grow up.  Let me tell you from experience, growing up is over-rated.

I always found that no matter what toys we bought for our children, they seemed to get more enjoyment playing with the box it came in.  They could create a house or make it into a beautiful castle.   The things we give our children usually are a result of what we think they want.  It’s really fun to see them use their imaginations to create something out of nothing.

Kids need to be kids.  They have plenty of time to grow into the adults we want them to be.

With every generation there are new things to entertain children.  When I was a kid, we would cut paper dolls out of the Sears catalog and dress them with pictures of clothing from the same book.  We would make mud pies and feed them to the dog.  We would set up a lemonade stand or hang a sheet across the clothesline and use it for a curtain for shows we’d put on for the neighbors. I know parents who still encourage this kind of activity.

My children grew up on Sesame Street and video games, but they always found adventure outdoors.  One of them found great delight in scaring me to death with a 6 foot snake or a variety of other critters.  We were constantly bandaging scuffs and bruises from their journey into the unknown.

Kids today aren’t much different, but our world is.  We have evolved into a society that fears for their children’s safety – not only in their own neighborhoods, but also in their schools.  Therefore we try our best to protect them.  To compensate we provide safe things for them to do within the confines of our homes.  However, the world always sneaks its way into children’s minds even when we think they are safe.

I am a great fan of technology although I am a novice at it and often get frustrated by it.  Technology has opened the door to learning everything there is to learn, just by connecting to the internet.  What an amazing tool this is for educating our children.  But is it?

We still need to have open communications with our kids, especially when they are young.  It is probably the most important time for us to establish our relationship with them.  It is also a great  time for them to develop their imagination, creativity and communication skills.

I know I’m old and my thinking may be old fashioned, but I still believe God places children in our lives for a purpose.  The most important being that we are responsible for letting them know about their Creator, their one true Friend, their Protector and their Savior.  Can we really accomplish that by putting them in touch with technology from the minute they can sit up and use motor skills to operate a computer?   OK, the Bible is available online and so are a variety of children’s Bible stories, but isn’t it much better to use this time to share those things one on one with them?  Knowing what you believe and trust in is extremely important to them.  You are their heroes.

 I love the fact that I can communicate my thoughts through my blog.  I love the freedom the internet allows us to explore and discover.  I love that kids have access to so much information, but I worry that we could easily lose our ability to communicate the one thing needful for them.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7