Live.Awake

Let Kids Be Kids

// November 14th, 2007 // Family Life

I have noticed a disturbing trend in parents of this generation. We are developing a sense of entitlement in our children that is not healthy. Parents are fiercely competitive now. So much so that they don’t want anyone being better than their child so we make everything neutral with no possibility of conflict. No longer do you have to earn trophies (everyone gets one) or can you say that you have won a game because people don’t even keep score anymore!

Moms are constantly comparing where their children are developmentally and assessing what their social status is compared to those around them. When it comes to school it is always about how my child is doing academically compared to everyone else. I think in some respects the parents are more involved in the children’s education which of course is a good thing. Where I think it crosses the line is when you are trying to teach your child to read or write at the age of two! Please!! Let the kid be a kid. Let them have memories of running around making messes and wreaking havoc wherever they go. Let them remember what it is to play with playdoh without some deep life lesson coming out it. Let them get into normal kid fights that they have to work out on their own.

Parents today are so quick to rush to their children’s defense to make sure no unfair thing is done to them. Well, the thing is (and we have all heard it) LIFE ISN’T FAIR. What we are doing for our children when we protect them from all conflict is harming them for the future. Something has to drastically change! We will have a bunch of nerdy spoiled brats who don’t know how to function in the real world because they haven’t been able to be a kid. It is so much more important to have experiences that shape their memories but also shape the person that they are going to become. Education is a huge deal to me, my children not being hurt emotionally and physically is something that is very important to me, but there are times that I have to decide what battles are mine to pick and what are theirs.

This is part of being a good mom too. I have to let my kids get hurt sometimes so that they will learn. I have to see them cry when a friend is being mean. I will hold her and tell her that there are times that people just aren’t nice to each other and that we have to continue to love them and to be friendly. And then I might walk into the next room and cry myself, but I have to let her go through it. There are times when I will push my six year old to read a book that is just beyond her reach and then there are times when I will give her a break and take her on my lap and read to her.

In todays competitive society, it is so easy to fall into the trap of “MY kid has to be the best _________.” But what I care about more is that I have a child who knows that God loves them, knows that I love them, knows how to have a good time and can deal with life as it comes. I want a child who can shine forth Jesus and is actually pleasant to be around.

Please cut us all some slack and let your kids be kids or we will all be paying hefty price in about 20 years!

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