Parenting by Design - March 1

A wise and loving parent

Deut. 32:11: Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions (NIV).

God uses the metaphor of an eagle to create a picture of Himself as a wise and loving parent. Interestingly, one of the things an eagle does to encourage independence in its eaglets is to "stir up the nest," which forces them to learn to fly. Similarly, there comes a time when children must learn to "fly for themselves." Knowing this, a loving parent may stir up the nest by encouraging kids to solve age-appropriate problems and experience the consequences of their decisions. 

When a child is facing an overwhelming problem, it also may be necessary for parents to catch and carry them for a time. While it might be tempting to support them indefinitely, the goal should be to offer just enough help to get them back into flight. It is a far greater gift to help our kids spread their own wings than to do the flying for them.

Stir up the nest by allowing your kids to face and solve problems on their own.