We want our kids to be prepared for back to school...but do they know this ONE important thing?

One Thing Our Kids Need to Know for Back to School

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We want our kids to be prepared for back to school...but do they know this ONE important thing?

There are many things we want our kids to know before they go back to school.

When my oldest first started kindergarten, I made sure he was as prepared as possible.

I wanted him to know his alphabet, his numbers, his shapes, his colors, and how to write his name. I also wanted him to know how to behave properly in a school setting: how to stand in line and wait his turn, how to sit quietly (or at least somewhat quietly) for a limited amount of time, how to play with others, etc.

I spent so much time focusing on these things that I neglected to focus on the ONE THING that was even more important than these.

That one thing he needed to know more than anything else? That he, as well as every other student in his class, was wonderfully created by God.

Knowing the alphabet is important, but it’s not as important as knowing how to treat people.

Because the truth is, there will be times when my son will face a choice.

Will he watch another child be picked on and insulted (or worse, do it himself), or will he stand up for the student everyone else refuses to help?

Will he ignore the new kid at his school, or will he befriend him instead?

Will he join the crowd and make fun of a child who is different? Or will he stand up for what’s right?

When our kids are faced with choices like these, being the best reader in their class isn’t going to help them decide what to do. What is going to help them is the knowledge that EVERY student in their school is wonderfully created by God.

There’s no place for bullying or name-calling with this mindset. There’s also no place for standing by and watching someone else do it either.

By instilling in our kids the knowledge that they—and their peers—are special, we help our kids stop bullies in their tracks. We also help them build up and encourage every single person they come into contact with.

That child in foster care who feels like he’s not enough? Your child can encourage him.

That boy who just moved to town and thinks he’ll never fit in? Your child can make a difference.

And that girl who has a rough home life and longs for someone to notice her? Your child can help her realize that Someone already has.

THAT is something to be proud of.

If you and I measure our kids by how well they do in school—their grades, their participation in extracurricular activities, or their popularity—we’re missing out on something that’s even more important.

We might be tempted to think success is found in straight A’s and positive teacher feedback (and yes, grades are important!), but true success isn’t measured by report cards and parent-teach conferences.

Success for our kids isn’t found on a report card. It’s found in the smile from another child who found a friend in ours.

How do you teach your child that him and his peers are wonderfully created by God?

Lindsey Bell
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