It’s been amazing to see how many teachable moments there are in parenting…almost every moment really. You can be at the grocery store and play with words, number and letters around every turn. “Can you find the letter C on these cereal boxes?” You can be at the playground and observe and make comments on behavior. “Wow! It is sad that boy isn’t willing to share his swing. Doesn’t it feel better to share? Maybe you can share something later with him so he knows how good it feels.” You may be reading a book with your child. You might disagree with something the author says. Rather than shying away from it, this is a great opportunity to talk with your child about your own beliefs and the reasons behind them. There is definitely time to shield and shelter your children from things to keep their innocence. There are so many ways to teach through the moments when their little eyes witness something that you wis didn’t exist – the child being sworn at in the grocery store or the man sitting on the sidewalk with no home. It may be something they read on a magazine as you’re checking out at the grocery store. These aren’t times to shield. They are times to engage. “What do you think about that?” How does it make you feel? How do you think it makes God feel?” These are all good questions that can lead to excellent discussions and amazing teachable moments. They’re around every turn. Yes, they can be exhausting. Take the time when it’s appropriate and seems engaging to your child. Don’t exasperate them, but be ready for moments that will really capture their hearts and minds.
