After writing the recent post Raising the Next Generation of Encouragers, I suddenly remembered a post I had started more than half a year ago but never finished! I decided that it was high time that I finish it!
The post has to do with 'privilege.' I had looked up the word in our dictionary, partly because I never can spell the word right the first time (priviledge...privelege...priveledge...), and partly to see how it was defined. Here is what the dictionary read:
a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor
When it comes to raising children, one doesn't hear the word 'privilege' very often. The word I am hearing more and more often is 'entitlement'. The generation coming up wants their i-pods, i-pads, cell phones, educations, jobs, and room and board handed to them on a silver plate. Now, this may be because I'm living in the United States, in a suburb of San Francisco, where the cross section of the population includes upper-middle class families. Life in the midwest may be very different. But I do believe that the media is also playing a part; there is a subtle but strong message in TV, movies, and music today that young people should get exactly what they want. (to read more about the role media plays, go to Passing on Your Narrative)
But many years ago, when I was a fledgling mom, I heard a wise mother share this thought: Teach your children about privilege. Most people think of a privilege as something special, something out of the ordinary, something beyond the everyday. Teach your children that the everyday is the privilege, because everything comes from God. Living in a safe neighborhood is a privilege. Eating three, good meals a day is a privilege. Going to school, having toys, feeling warm... if you are reading my blog, you are already among the richest 1% in the world!
Now, where I apply this thought most often when I parent is with words and siblings. When I hear a child speak unkindly, I remind them that speaking to a person is a privilege; God gave us a voice and words to encourage and love. If it's an issue that needs disciplinary action, then the child gets a silent time-out (loss of his privilege.) It's the same when siblings fight. I remind them that having a brother or sister is an amazing gift, and if they abuse the gift, they cannot play with each other for a certain amount of time.
It's a simple concept, but a good foundation for teaching about thankfulness, stewardship, and compassion. And it's a good reminder for all of us, that life in itself is a privilege, and that Christ Himself is our privilege. As the celebration of Easter approaches, let us keep this in mind.
