One of my biggest fears is that my son might place his value in the flawed messages of this world. I can’t stop or even filter everything the world tells my son. That is scary!
It’s even scarier if I sheltered him from the ways of the world and we avoided any encounter with them. This leaving my child to navigate an unknown world with no experience.
This is probably why parents write their children notes in their lunchboxes. I remember stealthily checking my lunchbox in middle school to make sure I could intercept any embarrassing messages my parents may have hid inside. I’d always skip away to my locker or the bathroom to read that loving note!
More parents should write to their children! (Thanks Mom and Dad)
How Do We Protect Our Children?
My little family is trying to instill lasting truths in ourselves. This foundation allows us to interact and sift through this world without becoming its victim.
What We’re Trying
My family has two main times to connect with each other and prepare for the world.
- Breakfast: My wife does a brief devotional with our son and I leave a little note or poem for them a couple days a week.
- I’m usually off to work before they awake so leaving them with a message of encouragement or love is a way for me to still speak into their days.
- After school homework and dinnertime: We’re lucky to all be home from work and school pretty early so a quick debrief with everyone is possible.
- If we’re really overachieving we’ll connect the morning devotional or note with the experiences we had throughout our day.
Here are a couple of the notes I’ve left for my family:
If there’s an interest, feel free to use these in your home. I can email these files for easy download and/or printing capabilities.
I usually get ideas and inspiration from the needs our family is currently encountering or ideas that spring from my personal devotions.
Speak into your children’s lives based on who they are. We are a pretty emotional, and empathetic family. These notes have been a fun way for us to combat the misguiding messages and emotions that our son receives in the world.
I love the idea of focusing on a theme each week attached to a biblical truth.
I plan to share more of these here, I may create another page on my website to put these up for download as I come up with more.
How does your family encourage and support one another?
Another parenting post you might check out:
“Great Job” and Other Phrases Crippling Our Kids
May you find peace in the process