Are you a strong enough parent to raise individuals?

I hate parenting books. No matter how good the information is, no matter how equipped the person is to present it, what's in those bo...


I hate parenting books. No matter how good the information is, no matter how equipped the person is to present it, what's in those books never quite fits my own peculiar family situations.

We're not building robots, or programming computers. Our children aren't tiny soldiers, and our homes aren't military encampments. Every child is an individual, formed and created by God's loving hands, with a plan for his or her life already outlined in heaven. As parents, we're raising individuals—creative, organic, unusual, intrinsically unique from every other human being.

Unfortunately for us as parents, that means we're going to have to be able to flex. Children don't come with a one-fits-all manual. We have to be open to change and adjust, willing to do things differently than our parents did (usually not an issue) and willing to do things differently than our friends, our church family, our community. That takes strength of mind and strength of will.

It comes down to it being YOUR responsibility to follow the instructions in Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it."
 

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11 Comments

  1. MaryJanuary 14, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    Boy, ain't that the truth! I must have read every book available when I was raising my children. They all had some good ideas, but nobody has YOUR child. Each human being is unique.

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  2. Anne MateerJanuary 14, 2011 at 8:43 PM

    I'm so glad I'm not the only one that hates parenting books! :)

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  3. Niki TurnerJanuary 14, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    Amen to that, Mary! Every child is a completely new adventure. God bless 'em. : )

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  4. Niki TurnerJanuary 14, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    LOL Anne. I'm with Mary, I think I read them all, and threw them all away!

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  5. Cheryl KlarichJanuary 15, 2011 at 6:00 AM

    I've read my share for sure. And I agree. It's on the job training for the most part, and prayer, and grace...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jeanette LevellieJanuary 16, 2011 at 1:16 PM

    Hear, hear!!! Can I hug you now? After reading a dozen or more child-raising books when my kids were small, I got so cofused with conflicting philosophies, I finally gave up and resorted to prayer. It worked beautifully. Imagine that!!!

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  7. Niki TurnerJanuary 16, 2011 at 3:03 PM

    Jeanette! I have been thinking about you all day, hoping you are well.
    Yes, you're right, it's amazing how much better God knows what our kids need than Dr. Spock, Dr. Mom, or any other human!
    Blessings!

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  8. Patti LacyJanuary 16, 2011 at 5:29 PM

    I love your child-rearing posts tho' I'm afraid my chance in many respects is gone.
    Right now, I influence granddogs!!!

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  9. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2011 at 5:30 PM

    Being a parent is the most important job I've ever had. Each child was unique and required different amounts of discipline, structure, guidance. However, they all required the same amount of LOVE -- LOTS of it! Happy to have discovered your blog, and look forward to following you and reading your posts!

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  10. Niki TurnerJanuary 16, 2011 at 7:08 PM

    Thank you, Patti dear! If your granddogs are anything like my granddogs, they need all the influence you can offer! : )

    ReplyDelete
  11. Niki TurnerJanuary 16, 2011 at 7:10 PM

    Welcome, Jan! I so enjoyed finding YOUR blog as well. What fun posts and pictures!
    I agree, love is the key. As long as our parenting decisions are motivated by genuine love, we'll do all right. And so will our kiddos!
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete

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