Because most adults have pondered, researched, studied and participated in discussions in order to possess a system of belief, we presume that what we believe is based on truth and should be understood and embraced by our children. That is a logical assumption, up to a point. We often think that raising a child in our home is enough to produce mini-mes and are sometimes shocked and disappointed to discover our children embrace totally different worldviews than our own. When I read a blog entitled "If You Want to Raise a Conservative Child" I was pleasantly surprised to find the information different than what I expected. Being the cynic that I sometimes tend to be, I thought the author was going to be sarcastic and/or critical of conservative parents who attempt to produce "mini mes." Over the years of working with worldview seminars I have been exposed to many parents who are raising their children in such a sheltered environment that it is scary. I'm not talking about sheltered in the sense that the children are protected from physical harm (because that is what any good parent does), but rather sheltered in that their children are never exposed to philosophies or beliefs other than those held by their parents, with the assumption that the child will embrace the parent's beliefs without question into adulthood. Yet most conservative Christian parents are aware of the huge number of children who grow up and walk away from their parent's faith. The aforementioned blog contains great advice.If what we believe is true, then our beliefs will stand up to any and all questions. If what we believe is not true, then the sooner we find that out, the better. Having attended a school that emphasized the memorization of information for a test (chew up and spit out), I was never encouraged to ask questions, to question answers, or to give much thought at all to the meaningful and important questions that pertain to life (who are we, where did we come from, why are we here ...). So, parents, begin having intentional conversations with your children. Start young, but if your children are already teens, it's not too late.
Three means to encourage a child to embrace their parent's faith as their own are through camps, co-ops, and classes. Camps like those offered by Summit Ministries and Worldview Academy not only offer great teaching, but they expose your children to other adults who are like-minded, and, perhaps even more importantly, give the students the opportunity to question and discuss important issues with other students. Co-ops offer a safe and friendly environment conducive to critical thinking, discussion, and oral presentations, all of which help students sort out their beliefs. I have both a blog and a podcast on co-oping. The last resource, classes, includes workshops and seminars as well as college classes. Dual enrolling at a Christian college, especially one with a worldview emphasis, is an avenue worth pursuing. Bryan College not only offers a very affordable dual enrollment program (only $100 per credit hour), but they have added an 18 day trip to Italy to study fine arts! (Who wouldn't want to study fine arts in Italy?)
Although I think I was probably less than enthusiastic to participate, my dad wisely engaged me in dinner table conversations during my community college years to help me think critically. He would often play "the devil's advocate" to challenge me to articulate why I had a certain belief. Now I wish I could thank him and ask him how he generated the questions he did. I'm usually at a loss as to how to formulate good open-ended questions which elicit a meaningful dialog.
ReplyDeleteConversations have always been a priority in our house; it was a great way to get in tune with our kids. I have to admit though it was a struggle to chat without seeming like I was prying or looking for a lecture opportunity.
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