As stewards of the children that God has given us, we want to prepare our daughters for whatever God calls them to do. Even while they are very young, we can take advantage of opportunities that arise to train them for the future.
There are certain skills that will serve our children well no matter what occupation or ministry they choose. Here are five skills that I believe will help our daughters as they go through life.
1. How to perform in front of an audience. Whether it's speaking, playing an instrument, or singing, becoming comfortable in front of a crowd can open many doors of opportunity.
2. How to function within a group. Many situations in life call for teamwork. Learning how to work with others to accomplish a common goal is a helpful trait to have.
3. How to follow a leader/director. No matter our age, we are often called to bring ourselves under another's authority. Being able to do so with grace and respect is vital.
4. Practice makes perfect (or at least better). It's easy to give up when you aren't good at something, but learning to persist through difficulties goes a long way towards developing character.
5. I'm good at some things; others are better at other things. While we always want to encourage our children in their pursuits, there are just some activities at which they're not going to excel. While they should always do their best (see #4), I want them to know that it's okay to acknowledge that someone else possesses a greater ability in a particular area.
Our children will naturally be proficient in some of these skills, while it will require more effort to cultivate others. That's one of the many wonderful privileges of being a parent - seeking God's wisdom and guidance as we work to develop the wonderful children that God has blessed us with into servants that He can use.
What other life skills would you add to the list?
I like all those skills :-)
ReplyDeleteThese are all wonderful skills - and I wish that I had been prepared with #1 a long time ago :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm...might be a subset of No. 2: how to have basic manners, including writing thank you notes.
ReplyDeleteThose are excellent skills - and I really need to work on some of them with my children!
ReplyDeleteSomething else I want to keep working on/teach my children (which I'm horrible at sometimes, which is why I want them to learn it) is to learn to admit when they are wrong, say sorry and ask for forgiveness. Being persistent and stubborn is good in some situations and detrimental in others. Too many people these days cannot take the blame, they don't know how to say sorry or to ask for forgiveness (or forgive others, for that matter). I think it is SUCH an important skill for them to learn this - I guess it all really comes under the heading of learning to be humble and exhibit true humility (as opposed to false humility, which is attention-seeking). Do you think this comes under the heading of an essential life skills for children to learn?
Yes, I think learning to take responsibility for your actions, acknowledge when you are wrong, and ask for forgiveness is definitely a life skill!! In fact, I think I need to expand my list from five to six for sure!
DeleteYOu thought of some things that I hadn't. Thanks for this post!
ReplyDelete