Every child is uniquely designed, just like a snowflake or a fingerprint.
Every child is pre-programmed with a unique personality and strengths. Even twins differ. Each child feels and thinks differently towards the same situation and interact differently with others.
Some children are reserve, while others are outgoing; some are active, while others are calm; some are good with making crafts while others are good at relating with people; some looks at the big picture while others pay attention to details. Some are creative while others are analytical.
As nurturing parents, it is our role to earnestly study our child’s distinctiveness, encourage them to embrace their uniqueness and build them according to their natural gifts.
Often, parents are tempted to drive their child to pursue paths that they themselves ordained. However, if the paths does not fit the child’s natural bent, the child will be living a frustrated life according to someone else’s dreams and pleasure.
How often have we hear of an individual who has invested years of training for a particular profession as a result of parental expectations only to change course drastically soon after to pursue his or her true passion.
We should resist every attempt to push our child to become who they are not. Allow our child the space to explore his or her own interests, which may be different from our own. Assure them that they do not need to worry about becoming “like everyone else”. Recognize how God has wired them and become their most enthusiastic cheerleader.
A strong parent-child bond is build upon such mutual understanding and respect. Discuss and make decisions together. Offer our wisdom but allow our child the freedom to experiment. Our influence, flowing out from such relationship, will go a long way towards helping them to fulfill their God-given life purpose.
In addition, we need to develop them socially and encourage them to become actively involved in their community. Introduce them to activities that promote teamwork.
Be firm yet fair when disciplining for misdeeds or misbehaviours, and make certain the rules and consequences for breaking the rules are clearly defined. Show a cooperative, loving and united front with your spouse when it comes to discipline. As we celebrate our child’s uniqueness, we need to help them overcome their weaknesses as well.
And finally, be a positive example to our child. Mentor our child on how to make positive choices with the choices we make. Assure them that it is OK to make mistakes while trying. Be transparent with our own experiences and show our child that mistakes can be a great learning experience.
“‘Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it”.
The Amplified Bible, Proverbs 22:6
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