Worldview on Child Training

      Our worldview guides the way we train our children. If we view the world through a Christian lens, we will train, correct, and guide them in a different way than a humanist or socialist would. What scares me a little is that too few parents take the time to articulate how a Christian should view child training.
     I’ve noticed a number of humanistic views on child training slipping into our society almost without us noticing it.
Here are a few of the dangerous ones:

• Since children are born into this world as innocent and sinless, they will do what is right if we do not impose our own prejudices on them.

• Since children are pure, they know what is best for themselves so parents have no right to impose their desires on them.

• Children are fragile and discipline, even if intended in love, could damage them for life. (I’m not advocating being either physically or verbally cruel in any way, but let’s give children credit for the strength God has given them.)

• As long as children are given all they need, they will grow up to be good and unselfish

• The community has the responsibility for our children. After all, everyone knows it takes a village to raise a child.
Let’s contrast that with a Christian worldview:
• Children are born into this world with a sinful nature. Defilement comes from the heart of man, including children. (See Jeremiah 17:9)

• Children do not have to be taught to lie, steal, bite, or pull hair. Again, these things come from the heart. The challenge is to teach them not to do these things.

• Apart from the grace of God, uncorrected children will grow up to be a burden to their parents (See Proverbs 29:15)

• God has given parents the responsibility to train their children, not the city, state or federal government.

• Discipline given in love will make a child feel more loved than allowing him to have his way in everything.


Your turn: How do you view the essence of children? What would you add to either list?

Setting Goals

As the librarian at our homeschool library, I often get a panicked question about what should my child know and when should they know it. Having learned the hard way, I try to guide mothers away from this thought process. Who’s to say when kids must learn to multiply fractions or know the parts of speech? Yes, these things are important, but rather than compare our kids with all the others, I think we’re better off setting concrete goals—and there’s many things on my list ahead of academics.

Set character goals. What moral virtue would you like to instill in your children? Pick one and spend a month on it, or many a year. Responsibility, honesty, kindness, patience, hope…you decide what’s essential for your family. You may have the smartest kids in the world, but if they flunk the character test, big problems are ahead. More students fail in college because of a lack of discipline or responsibility than a lack of math facts.

Set Worldview goals. How do you view the world? Like a socialist? Humanist? Christian? Many of these views permeate our society and can creep into our lives if we’re not careful. We need to teach our children the difference in the way a humanist views the world as opposed to a Christian. Stand to Reason has a wonderful web site full of great articles on worldview. Find them at www.str.org.

Check out these books: How to Be Your Own Selfish Pig by Susan Schaeffer McCaulay, Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door by Josh McDowell, and The New Tolerance by Josh McDowell.

Set Academic Goals. Many books will give the scope and sequence of what they teach at various grade levels, but I like to see other types of goals. Our family will read ten books on missionaries to different countries this year. My high school student will spend his senior year reading two of the classics each month. Each of my children will complete a research paper this year, including the proper use of note cards, making an outline, and using the MLA format.
I think goals like this will take you farther than stressing over what your child should know at each grade level. After all, it seems the Bible teaches that comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise.

How about you? How do you decide what and when your children should learn? What goals would you add to this list?