I was watching my almost two year old pick up the broom on the patio and swing it around in all sorts of ways. The long handle flailing around her compared to her short stature was quite comical. “Make sure no bugs!” she kept shouting at me through the glass door as I watched from the inside. My sweet, little Eva was copying what I did right before I let her outside to play minutes earlier.
Our children are sponges. Little copycats going around imitating and repeating what they see and hear you do. It may be most evident in the toddler years as your child is learning how to talk that we see this, but it is true over all the years of child-rearing. When they are early and late teens they may not be grabbing the broom and swinging it to clear way of any bugs on the patio like my toddler did to copy me, but the actions day in and day out that you show to your children are how they will cultivate their own life when they are on their own one day. Will they do every little thing like you do? No. But don’t underestimate those little things. I believe the saying is, “More is caught than taught.”
My children are both under two years old, so how do I know this? Well, we are a product of the environment we were raised in. Our life as adults is laden with bits and pieces from our childhood. Think back to your own childhood and why you do the things you do–they may be a positive or negative influence, with some things remaining as neutral. The child you raise in your home will turn into the adult that will later go out into this world. I exhort you, mamas, those raising the next generation, to not be conformed to the ways of this world in your parenting.
I write this in the little years of my child-raising days because it is our calling as mothers to be the best that we can be to our dear children. Are we always going to be perfect? Of course not! But the little humans that I am raising need to be soaking up righteous character traits from me. They need to see humility in the times I am wrong, asking for their forgiveness. They need to learn to give thanks in all circumstances and rejoice in the Lord because that is what their mother does. They need to be absorbing a healthy lifestyle that is rooted in the foundation of Christ. As a Christian mama, I need to be holding myself accountable to the Lord. He is my rock and my foundation on which I stand. If I don’t show that to my children, then the foundation of their childhood will be rocky. It won’t last. It will be muddled with worldly ways and a false ideology that just because we act good and are morally right people then we’re going to be okay in this world. Maybe to the world’s standard–but not to our Heavenly Father and eternity. We must go heart-deep with our children. Get to the root of any issues going on in their life. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (NKJV). In order to know our children, we must seek their heart.
So when my toddler starts disobeying and throwing a fit, then I must seek her heart and get to the deeper issue. Is it because I’ve been doing chores all morning and haven’t got down on her level to play with her? Or is it because she sees me holding her baby sister who’s sick with an ear infection and wants her own time and cuddles with me? There’s always a deeper issue with the outburst of our sin. And I’m not just talking about our toddlers! Mamas, we must check our own hearts too (read my post Mom Chat: Check Yourself).
Be aware of your actions and what you do as a model to your children. Let all that we do be for the glory of God. Even when you’re on the patio with your child sweeping the bugs off with a broom! It’s always a joy when you can delight in the little things with your littles. I want mine to be soaking up godly, sober, and righteous living. Go out this week and be that for your children, mamas! Be blessed.
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