As a homeschooling, stay at home mother, this years vacation bible school was the first time that I have let my children out of my sight unless they were with blood relatives, or friends who have been friends since the beginning of time, almost. Sound overbearing? I really, honestly, truely, and most sincerely don't care. They are my children, and it my job not only to love, guide and teach, but to protect and shelter. I guess, my point is, when did the phrase "shelter your child" become one with a negative meaning attached to it. Shelter is a good thing. It keeps us dry and warm and SAFE. Children aren't able to protect themselves much of the time from the dangers and happenings of the world around them, but their parents think they need to be able to comprehend adult issues. They just aren't ready. I say let's allow our children to be children for as long as possible. Because, once they hit adulthood, it becomes craziness for them to act anything but mature. They might get a good 10 years of being silly and acting crazy in there if we let them. Then they have 50-75 more years to act mature and responsible for their surrounding public.
So let me finish with this....sheltering my children may mean something bad to some of you, but to me it means this.....
-my kids don't feel embarrassed to cuddle and hug their parents at the age of ten
-my kids don't cuss me or talk disrespectful to me to impress their friends
-my kids aren't stressing over sex in grade school
-mostly my kids aren't taught that everything they are told is truth and right (and to memorize it because there will be a test to determine you future forever), they are taught to question and think for themselves
Bring on the storms....for I have provided shelter.
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Comments: 7
By sheltering your children you protect them from needleess harm.
I assume that you are teaching and showing your children how to protect themselves from the hazzards you expect them to face in life. If you are not then you are not sheltering them at all. But you sound like you are doing just the right things.
Keep up the good work and may your tribe increase.
I've gotten the comments about it, but I consider the source. All too often it's from someone I wouldn't trust to watch a houseplant, let alone a child. They might also be family, but that doesn't mean I'm blind and stupid to their shortcomings. ;)
Love your article and I agree totally. I'm doing the same with my four kiddos. I read somewhere that it's like our kids are little seedlings and our home is a greenhouse where they can grow in a protected environment so they can go out when they are strong and can stand on their own. We are careful to teach tools they need to survive and thrive in this world!