Each His/Her Own Person

This post is part of a series of 31 Day to Cultivating Heart Connections with Your Child as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes Challenge.

“Mom, I can’t find my bonnet, and I neeeeeed my bonnet.”

You would think we were back in 1880 and headed out of our soddy to hoe the garden. Not the case, I had simply told her it was time to load up in the car and head to church; but to my seven-year-old, her bonnet was the perfect accessory for her leggings and dress shirt.

Thankfully, a peak in the dress-up basket revealed her missing bonnet. Her daddy and I exchanged amused looks over the top of her covered head and shrugged as we wrangled our little posse into the church.

Sometimes, clothing choices necessitate we step in to make sure they are appropriate. But other times, we can let the mismatch or costumes or choices go. Does it really matter if she wears a bonnet to and from church? Would it really matter if she wore stripes and polka dots to the grocery store? Or if he wants to wear his superman costume to pick up his sister at school?

In order to keep our children’s hearts open to us, we must accept that they are as their own unique person just as God created them to be. They were never intended to have the exact same likes and dislikes as us.

Rather than pushing our preferences on them and battling over every little issue, let’s save our energy for the battles that matter—the battles that are a true war between right and wrong, sin and obedience, life and death.

And let’s cultivate heart connections with them by delighting in each of them as the unique individuals God designed them to be.