Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

Respect The Struggle Of Your Kids

Respect The Struggle Of Your Kids

Respect the struggle, mom!

Seriously though.

Maybe parenting and empathy is more simple than we think. Maybe your kids want you to simply know them.

To be known.

I mean, maybe it’s not about adulation and accomplishment.

What if it’s just about being understood?

“I see how hard you worked on that.”

Or: “I know you are sad. Would you sit with me for a little while?”

Understand: We underestimate the power of words.

When a child’s struggle is respected, he gathers courage to see a job through by himself.

-Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk (Amazon)

A Good Story Ought To

A Good Story Ought To

A good story ought to light us up with possibilities and hope.

I’m reading The Way Of The Warrior Kid (Amazon) right now at home and I cherish the way the kids lean into the conflict.

(Honestly: Why put adversity into stories anyway? No really, think about that for a second.)

There are lessons on bravery, obstacles, grit, persistence, fear, and fitness that my children will literally sit on the edge of their seats for.

Now that I think about it, this book has the exact same format that most other stories do.

Seeing children learn, is a beautiful thing to watch. C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton championed this.

I mean, who wants to read stories that tear people down?

A good story ought to perform a service by making us better, stronger, wiser, or happier than we were before. It makes us laugh or cry. It imparts wisdom. It teaches lessons about human nature and our place in God’s creation. It addresses our need to find coherence in our lives. It gives us a sense of continuity within the overall stream of human experience.

-John Erickson, Story Craft (Amazon)

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