Forefront Families

I had never heard of the term ‘salting the oats’ until our Pastor used it last week.  He quoted the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”, unless, of course, you salt the oats.  In other words, the salt creates the thirst that induces the horse to drink.  That got me thinking about a thirst for knowledge and how we can encourage inquisitiveness in our children.  On discussing the subject with friends, we all agreed that kids are born inquisitive, but for many reasons that enquiring spirit can be squelched.

      From the time infants can crawl their little fingers are poking their way into every conceivable hole and substance you can imagine.  They want to know what is behind and inside everything and what things feel and taste like.  Guiding them safely through this period can be harrowing and time consuming, but we need to make sure we do not ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’, so to speak. Stopping them touching something because it is dangerous is one thing, but constantly telling them NO! results in passivity.  It kills that inquiring mind.

      As they start to comprehend what is being said, children start asking, “Why?”  Annoying as that becomes sometimes, you need to be careful that you don’t brush off these questions.  A simple explanation may be all they want.  If you take time to explain ‘why’ and ‘what’ as part of your conversation and training, then some of those “Whys” may never have to be asked.  Reading children stories from a very early age stimulates their imaginations.  As they listen to the story and see the pictures they also hear the inflection in your voice indicating something exciting, sad, scary or sneaky is about to happen.  They want to find out how the story ends.  That experience is often transferred into their real lives.  They start to understand there is a beginning and an end, and that in many cases they can influence the outcome rather then just watch situations play out.  They get to know that they have some control over their own destiny and that they can lead a very exciting life.  There is an incredibly fascinating world out there waiting to be explored. Children are not bystanders watching a play.  They have the lead role.  This is a very important concept for them to understand as they grow into their teens.

      It is vital for you, as parents, to expose your kids to new experiences to get their inquisitive juices flowing.  Sadly, many kids of this generation have turned into a passive bunch of ‘techno heads’ who rely on the action being served up to them rather than them going out and finding it for themselves.  Their imaginations are fossilizing and their health is suffering from inactivity.  Kids are missing out on the incredible potential that is locked inside them.  There is little sense of achievement when their imaginations are not spurring them on.

      The best way to encourage your kids to live exhilarating lives is to get them back to those earliest years of experimentation and exploration.  They need a stimulating environment, stimulating friends and stimulated parents!  They particularly need physical activity that creates a healthy blood flow to the brain and muscles, healthy food, positive relationships and positive media input.  They need to not only KNOW they can be whatever they want to be, but see it in action from you as parents.  If you are successful, interesting, adventurous and great to be around, then your kids are likely to be the same.

      If you have any comments or questions on this subject, contact us on management@forefrontfamilies.org