Don't let my kids be safe... A Follow-up
Regarding my prayer that God help my kids not be safe...
My prayer wasn't made in a void. There are many other dads who have prayed the same prayer, and men who have gone before me who agree that it's a good one to pray. Just before or just after I became a dad, I ran into Tim Hansel's book, What Kids Need Most In A Dad. Not only have I read it numerous times, but I've also blogged about it (please don't ask me to go find those posts), and given it to at least one of my brothers. John Eldredge's book, Wild At Heart was a radical wake-up call for me as both a man and a dad. Then there have been several other blog posts, books, and articles about parenting, especially raising boys. Everybody seems to be in agreement... except when somebody gets hurt. Then people question the wisdom of that particular risk... like taking risks is okay, as long as nobody fails or gets hurt. People seem to forget (I seem to forget!) that with risks come opportunities for growth and reward, but also opportunities for pain, suffering, and failure. But that risk is oh so worth it. I'm indebted to YD Adventures for learning this wonderful truth, "The greater the risk, the greater the reward."
And all these thoughts (short as this post is) because of this blog post that I read this morning: "Dads: Give Your Kids Freedom To Explore." I live in a small community, but sometimes I still get a bit frustrated that my kids don't have a backyard forest or wilderness of some sort, even if only a couple acres to explore. I'm thankful for our friends, the Hubers, who let our kids play on their farm amongst animals, broken down machinery, and old farm buildings... as well as help out with the chores.
PS And here's another blog siting a study in Australia that encourages kids to take risks and play "rough": The Cotton Wool Mentality.
My prayer wasn't made in a void. There are many other dads who have prayed the same prayer, and men who have gone before me who agree that it's a good one to pray. Just before or just after I became a dad, I ran into Tim Hansel's book, What Kids Need Most In A Dad. Not only have I read it numerous times, but I've also blogged about it (please don't ask me to go find those posts), and given it to at least one of my brothers. John Eldredge's book, Wild At Heart was a radical wake-up call for me as both a man and a dad. Then there have been several other blog posts, books, and articles about parenting, especially raising boys. Everybody seems to be in agreement... except when somebody gets hurt. Then people question the wisdom of that particular risk... like taking risks is okay, as long as nobody fails or gets hurt. People seem to forget (I seem to forget!) that with risks come opportunities for growth and reward, but also opportunities for pain, suffering, and failure. But that risk is oh so worth it. I'm indebted to YD Adventures for learning this wonderful truth, "The greater the risk, the greater the reward."
And all these thoughts (short as this post is) because of this blog post that I read this morning: "Dads: Give Your Kids Freedom To Explore." I live in a small community, but sometimes I still get a bit frustrated that my kids don't have a backyard forest or wilderness of some sort, even if only a couple acres to explore. I'm thankful for our friends, the Hubers, who let our kids play on their farm amongst animals, broken down machinery, and old farm buildings... as well as help out with the chores.
PS And here's another blog siting a study in Australia that encourages kids to take risks and play "rough": The Cotton Wool Mentality.
Labels: Parenting, Risk, World Views, Youth Dynamics
posted by Pastor Paul at
9:29 AM
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