God's Wisdom

I like classical education because it capitalizes on how children learn and what stage of life they are in. For example, young children are able to memorize so easily, that is a key focus in the primary years. Going with the natural bend of the mind expands the ability to learn and simplifies it. Why not make full use of how the brain is working?

Along a similar vein, it is neat to think about how when parents are in their 20's they have loads of energy and determination. It is the perfect blend for rearing infants and small children. The mind is still sharp and more than capable of taking in hoards of new information. Sleep deprivation is dealt with and so is the physical demand small children bring. Fast forward ten to fifteen years...the kids are older and very helpful, and wouldn't you know it, Mom and Dad are more tired. They may have physical limitations like chronic foot pain. Going without sleep is a whole different story than the early years of marriage. Wisdom has grown, and as it happens, it is just in time for where the children are developmentally.

It is good to have children in your youth-it determines how you parent in many respects and it is easier. People who are more tired often do not readily do many of the difficult things required to teach children to sleep through the night or eat what they are given. People in the throws of a serious career do not have the time to attend parenting classes, shop around for the best pediatrician, or read oodles of parenting books. Those are tasks young parents are more game for. I do not want to be a discouragement, but rather shed light for parents who are older. Sometimes if we are simply aware of what our tendency may be, it can help us rise to the challenge. Keeping in mind that it is far easier to mold a child that is young should help. If you wait until you aren't tired, they'll be too old to easily work with.

I'm sure trends are always changing, but I guess my point is that perhaps we ought to think about the whole picture of the fertile years and God's timing on bringing two people together when deciding on having children or not having them. The number of kids on some kind of medication today is staggering, and I for one think the environment in which they are raised plays in to it heavily. As we see the ages of first-time parents rising along with this information about drugged kids, it gives one pause. We can't deny nature or methods of parenting having specific outcomes. Just look up some information about ADHD diagnosis' and sleep deprivation. Yet in this era of, "I love my kids too much to make them sleep through the night.", I think we'll see the truth is that parents are hurting their kids, which is the opposite of actually loving them.

~Ann