How to Kill Your Child’s Spirit (How to Raise Amazing Teenagers While They are Still Toddlers – Part 2)

Last updated on: January 15, 2013 at 9:00 am by Josh Daffern

How to Kill Your Child’s Spirit (How to Raise Amazing Teenagers While They are Still Toddlers – Part 2) 2013-01-15T09:00:29-06:00 Josh Daffern

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here’s how you can easily kill your child’s spirit, their sense of adventure. It’s real simple: just overprotect your child. Shield them from anything potentially harmful. Don’t let them try anything new, they might fail. Don’t let them do anything remotely dangerous, they may get hurt. Don’t let them do anything on their own, that’s your job. Don’t believe this is happening? Here’s what research is showing about today’s teenagers:

A large percentage struggle with obesity.
A large percentage find it difficult to fulfill commitments.
A large percentage wrestle with depression after eighteen years old.
A large percentage discover life is hard to cope with after leaving home.

Yesterday we looked at the two things that prove to be trump cards when raising your kids. Today we’ll begin to look at three tensions that you have to manage as a parent raising kids in today’s culture:

1. Overprotection vs. Sense of Adventure. We live in a day and age when our kids are overprotected. Think about it:

You grew up jumping on a trampoline with no net. Today that would constitute a call to child services.
You grew up when a seat belt was your mother’s arm bracing you against the seat. Today, you put your kid in a five point harness worthy of NASCAR.
You grew up riding your bike, plain and simple. Today kids can’t ride their bikes without full kevlar body armor used by the soldiers in Iraq.
You grew up spending hours outside exploring the world around you. Today you’re afraid to let your kids out of your sight. Better for them to stay inside and watch tv, where you can see them.

Here’s the downside of overprotecting your kid: you can steal their sense of adventure and kill their spirit. I worked with too many teenagers who were scared of their own shadow, who were afraid to try anything new, who were convinced that if they did something they would do it wrong. Why? Because all they heard growing up was how dangerous the world was.

Don’t steal your child’s natural sense of adventure. You have to find the balance between protecting them and nurturing their God-given sense of adventure. It starts young. Let them jump off stuff. Throw them in the air. Let them try new things. Let them do something a little risky. They’re born with a natural sense of adventure. All you have to do is keep from stealing it from them.

image courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Previous Post

January 14, 2013

How To Raise Amazing Teenagers While They are Still Toddlers - Part 1

Next Post

January 16, 2013 How to Make Sure Your Kid Doesn't Turn Out to Be a Punk (How to Raise Amazing Teenagers While They are Still Toddlers - Part 3)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Family Matters Ministry in the Trenches Morning Brew MTVpastor New Wineskins Top Menu Truth from Life Uncategorized Watch Sermons

Select a Month June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did God create Eve from?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Dust Clay Adam’s rib Water