When you discover your children have talent, what do you do?
When you determine they can easily use their ability to harm and hurt people, what do you do?
Children need to be parented. Supported. Taught. Corrected. Motivated. Complimented. Challenged to do good and not to do harm.
Have you seen the Disney movie Frozen? As I wrote about last Monday, it was a beautiful movie with much that you could enjoy and talk about with your kids.
However, the parents made a puzzling decision. When they realized their daughter could freeze things with a thought, gesture, or touch, rather than helping Elsa understand and control her gift, they locked her up in her room after her younger sister was hurt playing on the ice Elsa created. They didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.
Why didn’t they parent her? Teach her self-control? Help her discover good uses for her unusual talent? Maybe because “Hollywood” believed that movie wouldn’t have been as popular. But, what about us?
I hope you work to discover your children’s talents and celebrate them. When you help children know what they do well, you positively influence their security, identity, and everything else. It helps them believe in their uniqueness so they’ll invest in their purpose.
I hope you talk with children about healthy, God-honoring uses of their strengths and talents. Help them know what they can do now and in the future. If you can, introduce them to others who have the same or similar talents who are using them for good and not to harm.
If you believe your children are using talents and abilities badly, I know you won’t lock them in their room forever. Imagine!
As a “Chatty Kathy” I grew up knowing to tell the truth, not gossip or tease, and not dominate with all my words. Those things would have been easy, but my parents warned me of how my strengths could come across to others and get me into trouble with them.
When I wasn’t wise and I hurt others with my strength, my parents implemented appropriate consequences. They also corrected me so I knew how to behave differently the next time I was tempted to use my words for harm. They offered support, unconditional love, and instruction. I can’t imagine how different my life would be if they would have locked me in my room instead.
Children need to be parented. Supported. Taught. Corrected. Motivated. Complimented. Challenged to do good and not to do harm.[callout]Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life.[/callout]
