Did you ever have a super hero or a person you looked up to and wanted to be? Today we’re going to talk about a child’s hero; their parent or care giver.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it”

Ask yourself these questions before you have a child. Will I promise to always love them, provide for them and meet the basic needs? Sounds like a marriage doesn’t it? Except there is no divorce. Giving your child up for adoption is not a  divorce. It’s giving them a chance that you can’t give them and admitting to it. A divorce is a lie to society saying the vows you took aren’t apparent anymore even though it was a promise. It’s not about keeping a child alive it’s about preparing another life to do good in the world. Most people forget that when they hold a baby they grow and they become their own person with their own goals, personality, and dreams. If you decide to become a parent or caregiver will you crush those dreams, tear their personality and stomp on their goals? Or will you encourage them and their goals, provide for their needs, and help them succeed in their dreams?

“There’s only two things a persons hands can do, make or break”

For the first seven years of a child’s life they rely on their care givers the most. Those are the years when they need the most guidance. The beginning years as a baby they need a lot of hugs and kisses letting them know you are always there; this is where the trust comes in. If you are always there for every cry and hold them letting them know its going to be ok and following through by providing food when needed and comfort they soon begin to trust you. This is when you become the hero. Screaming at the child will only make them afraid of you and possibly make them scream a lot  when they are older thinking its ok because that is what they were taught. Children mirror there heroes, because that’s who they want to be.

why damage a child?

Cutting, hitting, burning, freezing, molesting or raping a child could cause them to do these things to people around them thinking it is ok, because their hero did it to them, or they can be terribly confused as they learn that this behavior is not how everyone  else was  treated by their heroes. Even one day of any of these things happening to a child could ruin the rest of their life. Hope is gone, and they don’t know who their hero is anymore or if there is a such thing.

Matthew 18:6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Encourage your child when they make good choices or do good at something. Their self-esteem is based on their hero; the care giver. If a child grows up hearing they are ugly and stupid they soon begin to believe it too. The risks of doing this to a child could cause depression, self injuries or suicide. They say it takes seven compliments to make up for one insult.

Proverbs 16:24 “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Be the example. When life gets tough do you panic, or do you say things will get better? If you panic this could make them uncertain about their environment. Will you turn to alcohol, money, self comfort, or drugs? Reacting in a positive way will only help them in the long run. They are always watching their hero.

Every day as a parent or caregiver you are holding another persons life in your hands and they are looking up to you with trusting eyes. So here’s my final question for you will you make them search for a hero, or will you be that hero?