A New Season For My Son

Today is the second day of school for Jeshua.

He did not cry on the first day as I accompanied him to school and ensured that he was fully secure. I went out of the childcare centre a few times to see if he could manage well in a new environment.

This morning, he waved goodbye to me when I told him that I would be leaving the childcare centre for a while.

I walked out of the centre intentionally for a period of time to monitor how he was doing. Guess what? He had adapted well to the environment. Come on! He has grown in confidence and security. Thank You Jesus!

A child should not be made to experience separation anxiety because we are not made to experience it. The Father says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Personally, I do not subscribe to the traditional parenting style where parents simply leave their children at the childcare centre and allow them to cry. Yes, the children will eventually get over it. But the damage is done. The abandonment is felt. Separation and distrust have been formed.

If we want to apply biblical values in parenting, we have to ask, "Father, show me Your heart in fathering my child." Then we follow what the Father would do.

One of the childcare teachers said to one of the children, "Only [name] is quite good because he sits down quietly." She then asked the other boy who made some noise to stand at a corner. This boy started crying as he experienced shame and separation. 

Welcome to the world's principles. At home, we really have to inculcate biblical principles and re-align our child's values repeatedly. Goodness is not defined by behaviors. A child is good because God sees him good. If he is good only because he performs, he will grow up relating to God by performance.

It is no wonder a child's foundation years plays the most crucial part of his life. It is a period when he spends most of the time immersing in the right values before he is "sent out" to face the world - one that will come against the values he learnt at home. If only we could homeschool our child...

I look forward to bringing Jeshua to his school tomorrow!