Mar. 30, 2009 - What Will Our Children Remember?
I published this last week at www.MamaKnowsBest.net, and I decided to post it here as well. :)
About a month ago, we went to a local restaurant that we hadn't been to for quite a while. My husband and I were *shocked* when we pulled into the parking lot and our 6 year old told his sister, "Yay! This is the place that gave me a free ice cream cone!" We were shocked because that happened about 4 1/2 years ago, when I was still pregnant with his sister; he was just barely turned 2 years old. We have not talked about it since it happened, so how could he remember that?
On the other hand, he was 4 1/2 years old when his little brother was born, and he was present for the birth. It did not seem to make much of an impression on him, however, because he does not seem to have any recollection of the event!
This has really made me think about the things that make an impression on our children. They may not always be the things we think! The really "big" things, or at least the things that *we* think are "really big" may not be of much consequence to our children. On the other hand, the smallest gestures of kindness (or unkindness), the looks, the time spent or a game played - these may be the things that stick in their minds.
Last week our home group watched a video by Paul David Tripp, and he made a good point: most of our lives are made up of mundane moments. We will likely only make 3-4 big decisions in our entire lifetimes! If God is not God of the mundane moments of your life, He is not God of you at all.
This has inspired me to make the mundane moments I have with my children special. We don't have to go fancy places or spend a bunch of money to make our children feel special and loved. As mothers, we may feel like there aren't many significant events happening in our daily lives - but let's start seeing those mundane moments we have with our children as significant, because they are! And I'm sure our children see them that way too.
Comments
Mar. 30, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by kristigirl444
This is great, thank you for sharing!! Very inspiring and a great reminder to be careful with the moments. I too have been surprised by things my oldest remembers from looong ago. Just today my 4yo was talking about wanting to go on a plane so he could have a snack on the plane again, and that was about 2 years ago!!
Mar. 31, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by kristigirl444
YES, I am winter! :)
