I wrote this two years ago when our youngest was 17 years old and learning to drive. It's not enough to give our children more freedom as they mature; we also need to give them responsibilities.
Thank you for saying what I was thinking for a while...in our community, people are physically protected but the
the mind gate is left wide open. May the Lord guide us so we protect body and mind (and spirit) to the degree that He would want us to - sufficiently but not overtly. May our children develop resilience in an environment where the protection of the body and mind is ultimately in the Lord's control. This verse came to mind:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Physically over-protected, yes-- I absolutely agree with you on this. I hope more parents see that allowing their children to take (responsible) risks is necessary for their growth and development.
Hi Shannon, the paradox is that as parents have restricted the physical ‘dangers’ of their children’s lives, I think they’ve done the opposite with mental/psychological dangers that come via social media etc.
Thank you for your thoughts on this! I'm definitely not looking forward to all the responsibilities that will slowly become mine again once my children start leaving home in a few years. :)
Thank you for saying what I was thinking for a while...in our community, people are physically protected but the
the mind gate is left wide open. May the Lord guide us so we protect body and mind (and spirit) to the degree that He would want us to - sufficiently but not overtly. May our children develop resilience in an environment where the protection of the body and mind is ultimately in the Lord's control. This verse came to mind:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23 NIV
Physically over-protected, yes-- I absolutely agree with you on this. I hope more parents see that allowing their children to take (responsible) risks is necessary for their growth and development.
Hi Shannon, the paradox is that as parents have restricted the physical ‘dangers’ of their children’s lives, I think they’ve done the opposite with mental/psychological dangers that come via social media etc.
Thank you for your thoughts on this! I'm definitely not looking forward to all the responsibilities that will slowly become mine again once my children start leaving home in a few years. :)