I am from an  era (assuming people know differently today) where parents lined out the destinies of their children even before the children were born. The trend used to be that if the parent did not get educated for whatever reason but so desired, then their children would be instructed to take up that discipline, to fulfil the parents’ aspirations and goals.

In some cases where the parents were educated, they expected their children to either follow in their footstep or study and train in disciplines they considered to be honourable to the family name and tradition. These trends were not just limited to education. They involved trades, affairs, businesses, etc.

This produced amongst other things, a generation of dissatisfied and restless people who grew and developed as square pegs in round holes, training, qualifying and practicing in fields that they had no business being in the first place. This dissatisfaction led many to believe that life was more complicated than it really was as they could never find true joy and satisfaction in work, career, and other endeavours.

With time, some parents (who use to be children themselves) started coming to the realisation that some of these children (i.e., they) were pushed too hard and some were just sent off on a wild goose chase and in other to ‘make amends’, started going in the opposite direction, some going too far: The result, children who were told they could be anything they wanted to be.

Oh, I can hear the very loud question going on in some heads right now like, what is wrong with children being told they can be anything they want to be? and the simple answer to that will be nothing is wrong with that if your aim is to teach the children that they are not bound nor limited. No human should be  bound or limited, especially children for that matter but many have grown up confused and dissatisfied attempting any and everything that they possibly can lay their hands on because they haven’t been given a sense of purpose.

  They haven’t been taught that not everyone is called to run on the same lane. Some, in attempts to raise their children differently, are raising children without teaching them healthy boundaries and some children have run wild, having their way in everything and throwing a tantrum when things don’t go their way. A child becomes so used to having their way  that the first time they go into the larger society and hear a no, their world seems to cave in, and all hell seems to break loose.

So, what then is the balance? To respond to this, we need to look at this scripture.

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
Psalm 127: 3-4

A child may have come into the world in the most unlikely circumstance. Regardless, children are a gift and a blessing. Children are God’s design, a fulfilment of His word from the beginning for humanity to multiply and reproduce. so, when a child is born to a parent, that child is a gift, and gifts are given for a purpose.

The following verse (4 ) says children are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. You don’t have to be skilled in archery to know that there is a target for every arrow. When an arrow is released, it is directed at something very specific, which brings us to the next scripture:

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Proverbs 22:6

Every parent is a custodian, an entrusted steward, and as a custodian, you know your job is to temporarily keep what belongs to another. If every parent sees themselves as custodians of their children, then they will begin to see those children as belonging to God, which means that they will begin to look to God more for instructions and directions on how to raise those children.
The above scripture in proverbs says to direct your children onto the right path. There is a right and wrong path for your children. Not every way is right for them. If they have a purpose in life, then there should be a right path to get them there. The art of training is a responsibility given to every parent, and though it isn’t always a smooth sail,it is an investment worth sacrificing for.

Much Blessings

Kingdom Durogene