Mom Heart Moments #178

Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

TOO OFTEN TODAY, children are starving for real life and drowning in the midst of an empty one.

The old-fashioned way seems to be the healthiest way to raise emotionally, intellectually, physically, and spiritually resilient children. When they are constantly using technology for entertainment, children’s brains have been shown to slow down because they are overstimulated, and their undeveloped eyes and brains cannot process what they are taking in. Because many children are deprived of what their bodies and brains are designed for —rest, play, curiosity, interaction with real people and real experiences, and problems to solve —there is a diminishing of their long-term emotional, spiritual, and mental health.

Children need to be outdoors. They need time to be bored. They need to be around books, have lots and lots of imaginative stories read to them, and then have time to act out the stories. They need lots of time with adults so that they can pattern their values and manners and relationships after mature people rather than always being in the company of immature children or exposed to digital images that display violence, foolishness, and questionable values.

May all children be blessed with the gift of play, imagination, free time, and the space to be outdoors to explore. May they wonder at the marvels of God’s creation. May they have the treasure of real human beings who hold their hands while they explore the world, who rock them to sleep and sing them real songs and scratch their backs at bedtime and tell them their own love stories. And may they daily hear the words of their Creator God, marvel at His excellence, and grow to love Him with all of their hearts.

What can you do to ensure your children have the benefits of time for imagination and free play?