How do we raise Bible-minded children in a chaotic culture?
That’s what Dr. Kathy Koch, founder and president of Celebrate Kids, Inc., tackles in her latest book, “Resilient Kids: Raising Them to Embrace Life with Confidence.”
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“One of the things that does concern me is … the helicoptering, the overprotection of children, the bubble-wrapping of kids,” she said. “I’m concerned about that because children need to grow up and develop their own strength. They can’t always depend upon a mom and a dad or a teacher.”
Koch said kids’ character is strengthened and faith is developed after people face challenges — and overcome them. Overprotecting children can weaken them because they cannot have these overcomer moments. Koch also described the power and importance of “resiliency.”
“Resiliency is readily recovering from difficulties, readily coming back from trauma, grief, fear, loss,” she said.
Another question many Christian parents today struggle with is how to ensure their kids love Jesus throughout their lives — and not simply because their parents told them to.
Koch said it all comes down to the practical examples we set as parents.
“Do they see that we use God and His Word for decision-making?” she asked. “When you have a biblical worldview, God is your foundation and His truth guides your decision-making about what you spend money on, what you spend your time on.”
Koch said it’s all about our children seeing us live out authentic biblical truth in our lives.
She also discussed why she believes so many parents are now actively involved in their kids’ education, turning up at school board meetings and making their voices heard.
Koch said the dynamic is the result, in part, of COVID-19 procedures and lockdowns — happenings that gave parents a clear lens, via Zoom and other online learning tools, into what was being taught in classrooms.
As a homeschool advocate, Koch said it’s important for parents to ponder their options.
“I do believe that homeschooling is a wise decision for many families,” Koch said. “I think all parents can homeschool if they look into the right options and figure out where their values are and where their attention is going to be paid.”
As for parents who opt for public school, she said it’s important to pay attention to what kids are learning and being told, and also to support teachers in any way possible. Simple notes of gratitude when lessons go well or when children come home excited can go a long way, Koch said.
“You have to be available. You’ve got to be alert. You’ve got to listen to the story,” she said. “Spend time with your kids and say, ‘Hey, what’s your favorite thing that happened today? What was really surprising today? Did you hear anything that concerned you?’” “Just making sure that you’re available is really, really important.”
Get more of Koch’s advice in “Resilient Kids: Raising Them to Embrace Life with Confidence.”
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN