By Alena Palad
As her daughter hit the high note to end her song, the audience gave the little girl a standing ovation. That moment was priceless for my friend as she recalled all the time that she invested in her daughter’s training.
My friend fully understands her role in building a good future for her children according to God’s direction in Proverbs 22:6. This scripture says, “Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
God designs each person differently, so children have different gifts and skills. If you support and encourage your children to develop their gifts, they will have the confidence to pursue their chosen profession when they grow old. My niece enjoys dancing, singing and acting. By observing carefully, I have learned what she loves to do the most – acting. My nephew, on the other hand, was confused about what he wanted to do. Ideas came later when a friend invited him to play basketball. Input from other people enables a child to grow and see a clear direction for their future.
Knowing what your children want is a good start, but in order for them to develop their skills, parents need to provide the things they need like books, materials and training. Children also need affirmation as they make progress with their training, encouragement to persevere even when they make mistakes and a little push when they are discouraged. It is best to enroll them in schools or workshops that specialize in their particular gifting but if you cannot afford it, explore other resources. For example, find relatives or friends who can give training to your children in exchange for services you can offer them. My friend traded math tutoring for her son’s guitar lessons.
Learning may be important but children also need a balanced schedule which includes rest and recreation. All work and no fun results in boredom and slow progress in their training.
It may take some time until my friend’s daughter fully develops her skills but my friend knows that she is doing her best to give her daughter a successful future.
