The Only Real Lesson That Matters
I am incredibly blessed to be able to provide my daughter with different lessons that will enhance her creativity and expose her to the arts, sports, and other opportunities. I absolutely love watching her in her pink leotard, hair tucked neatly in a bun (no easy feat if you knew how much hair she has!) twirling in her ballet class. I enjoy it so much not because I’m living vicariously through her but because of the sheer joy she gets from dancing. One of the perks of having children is watching them explore the world with fresh eyes. They have this marvelous, untainted sense of adventure.
While she’s in her ballet class I sit outside in the hall with the other parents stealing peeks into the studio. This past Saturday as I was waiting for Anya, another mother began having a conversation with me. She was very complimentary, saying how beautiful and coordinated my daughter is, I in turn complimented hers. Sadly though she began to rant about how her daughter was extremely uncoordinated and how she basically stunk at ballet. I said that her daughter looked as though she was having fun and was doing great. Regardless of what I’d say she was intent on putting her daughter down. She ended by saying she thought Anya might have real talent. I thanked her and ended the conversation by saying that as long as they were having fun that was what mattered.
This was an eye opening experience as a parent. It is so vital that we believe in our children and that our children know that we believe in them. Kids know when their parents are disappointed and it sticks with them and makes them less likely to try new things and be confident. Our kids are not going to excel at everything they try that’s life and it is okay. But, if they know we’re behind them 100% and we continually encourage them then when they don’t excel it will be a little bit easier. The saddest aspect of the conversation I had was the disappointment I saw in her face as she watched her daughter. Her daughter didn’t happily bounce out of the room instead she appeared stressed. The fun had been taken out of the class.
In a society where competition is the norm and overachieving is expected, I wonder if our kids are too pressured to be the best and do everything without really enjoying anything. As parents it is important that we stress to our children that they are made in God’s image and that alone is special, they don’t need any other accolade. Teaching our children to love what is on the inside and not to measure their worth from the trophies they win or the number of lessons they take allows them to relax and enjoy life.
Parents should remember that our children are children. The world isn’t going to end if they can’t do a plié. Let them know that they are blessed with spiritual gifts that are God given and that they have a predetermined purpose. It is our job, as Christian Moms, to inspire their creativity by constantly encouraging them, exposing them to different opportunities, and letting them know that they aren’t loved because of what they can do but because of who they are… a child of God.
Copyright © Chere Williams, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved