Biltmore Estate

Teaching Our Kids to Be Brave {In a World Gone Wild}

Teach Kids to be Brave

 

“What was I supposed to do, Nana?”

My grand-daughter brushed back a wisp of wet, blonde curls from her crying eyes. “I was only trying to help.”

A friend had needed help so Lacey sought an adult. Then her other friends accused her of tattling, and it cut deep.

 

So we had a talk about how sometimes the braver thing to do is to seek help.

 

Life can be difficult for our children these days. The wedges and divides of the culture wars are becoming harder to manage for us adults, much less the kids. {Maybe I’m alone in feeling that way, but I don’t really think so.}

 

We teach our children to be sensitive and aware. And they should be. But do we spend equal amounts of time encouraging them to be brave and to use their voice when necessary? It’s especially hard for me to admit I don’t always, considering I wrote a book a couple years back on how to find and use our voices. 

 

I’ve always encouraged Lacey to share her opinion, to speak up for herself and others, but she’s more inclined to actually do it if she knows someone is actively listening and valuing what she says.

 

It’s important we teach our children to think and say and do the harder things because it takes courage to do right and brave things.

 

Best-selling author and Bible teacher Lisa Bevere understands the need. “As a grandmother, I am burdened that our children are sometimes seeing things they don’t know how to navigate. We, as parents and grandparents, need to have intentional conversations with them so they can bring their concerns to us. I want children to know that no matter how little they are, nobody can take their voices away.”

 

Lacey and I have flat fallen in love with Lisa’s debut children’s book, Lizzy the Lioness. Lizzy is curious and adorable and charming and mischievous, just like my Lacey. And Lizzy, like Lacey, had to learn what it means to be brave in the face of hard things.  {If you want help teaching the little lion in your life to be brave, you’ll want this. It’s just that good!}

 

 

Though there are days I wish I could simply hide Lacey away from the noise of the world, I’m learning instead to continue to encourage her politeness and kindness and obedience, of course, but to also be a lot more intentional about nurturing her confidence and problem-solving skills so she will feel free to speak up in spite of what others may say.

 

Because when we find the confidence to speak up for right things without worrying how the cynics and naysayers will react, we can overcome the obstacles of a diverse and culturally charged world.

 

And perhaps even more importantly, we can teach our children to do the same.

 

How about you: What are some ways you’re teaching your children to be brave? Leave us a comment below and let’s grow our kids stronger, together. 

 

{I also suspect we aren’t the only ones with this battle; consider sharing?}

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