There are times in parenthood when your children struggle with something that you can’t for the life of you figure out how to help them through.
There are some struggles that most of us endure like potty training, training children from saying “no” to “Yes, Mommy”, and staying in bed at night.
Then there are struggles our children face that we can only help them with to a certain point. There are small struggles like tying shoes and going to Sunday school without crying when mommy or daddy leave. Some children have an easier time with those hurdles than others.
Then there are the struggles our children must wade through on their own. We can help them ourselves as much as possible and get them extra help from others, but we can’t force the lightbulb “Aha” moments. We teach them facts, but their minds must click on to understand concepts we can’t make them understand.
As our children get older and they are slow to understand something necessary for them to move on in life, there is only so much we can do to help them. It can feel helpless, but sometimes we must allow natural consequences to take their course.
Knowing the potential results of such consequences makes it hard for us, as parents, to allow those consequences to happen. But if we have done all we possibly can, then we must step back and let our children wade through the struggle until their bodies have built the muscle to pull themselves out of the mud or for their minds click on, helping them understand they are wading through something they could be walking around.
These struggles take the form of driving skills, poor friendship choices, hygiene, and many other coming of age hurdles. When our children struggle, we struggle with them. We pray for them, do our best to train, encourage, and empower them, but ultimately, it’s their struggle and we must let them learn the lessons necessary to move to the next step in life.
“Parenting is hard.”
I hear it all the time, but our children are worth the hardships, the late nights, and whatever else it takes. Part of discipleship is helping them do what they need to and learn what they need to so they can overcome these hurdles and struggles, honoring God in the process and the victory.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3
What struggles are your children facing you need to step back and let God lead them through?