As we are training our children for the Lord (Proverbs 22:6), we have always tried to have the hearts of our children.
We have found that our children trust us and feel safe in our home. Because of this, one of our greatest blessings is the fact that our children are not ashamed to share their thoughts and open their hearts to us. On several occasions, we have sat around the table or piled up as a family on our bed and opened up our conversations to any topic. A couple of years ago, I asked a question (not expecting much answer). The question was: What's the worst thing you have ever done that no one knows about?....I also clarified that no punishment would be given no matter how serious the matter. We spent the next 1 1/2 hours laughing, crying, and telling stories.
Our children opened their hearts about anything and everything. We were surprised about a couple of things: 1) How much our children remember from years earlier (they told us things they did from when they were 3 & 4 years old. 2) How innocent our children are. They told us about picking their nose, hiding the paddles so we can't find them, taking sticky tack from a classroom (of which this child was so convicted by the Holy Spirit, they cried out in class to the teacher, "I stole your 'sticky tack' !!!"), putting on extra underwear during discipline times and various other seemingly little things. Don't get me wrong, sin is sin no matter how "seemingly small" the matter. I am just so thankful that our children have been protected from pornography, cursing, alcohol, and most of the other major issues many parents face when dealing with their children.
Just last week we had the opportunity to have these conversation topics again. For almost two hours we heard about topics from peeing in the pool (sorry Grammy!), peeing in the bathtub (sorry to the one who took a bath next!), and boys/girls they thought were cute. When we were done laughing and crying again, our kids said: "Thanks mom and dad, we love when we talk like this and share our hearts with you." I love my kids!
