Passing down truth, skills, and traditions ensures success for the next generation.
There are so many examples of this! And so many cultures and people that do a great job with this!
I once met a young Native American girl whose grandmother had taught her about medicinal herbs. In my family, farming and gardening were passed down through generations.
My dad is a great mechanic and woodworker; he has passed down these skills.
There are other things to pass down as well. These include kindness, a love of traveling, reading, education, financial stability, courage, humility, resilience, sobriety, purity, and compassion.
These strengths give our children and the next generation hope and strength.
One matter that is close to my heart is passing on my faith.
I want these kids to understand why I believe what I believe. I want them to grow up with a deep understanding that they can come to God anytime, anywhere, and for anything.
If they can learn this simple truth, they will know that no matter where they are and what they are going through, they are not alone. He will be there for them in every situation.
We intentionally teach our children truth, tradition, and character every day.
Deuteronomy 6:6-8 New King James Version (NKJV)
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
It’s an everyday thing—much to the dismay of my children. I feel that some days, they do not appreciate my wisdom!
Hope, strength, and truth are passed on. They will, without a doubt, face death, relationship breakups, complex finances, and be wronged by people they trust. It’s life! But I want them to know.
Create a list of character traits, truths, and skills you want to pass on to your children. Growing up with these truths and abilities will make them wise and capable adults. Begin to teach them daily. This is the time to teach them.
Learning truth and character are everyday discussions. Traditions may not happen every day, but often. I think of how the Jewish culture faithfully teaches their history and faith.
Sundays, birthdays, and holidays are great times to create traditions!
The nice thing about traditions is that they can be anything! They do not have to be expensive or time-consuming. But they do need to be purposeful and repeated!
Simple things like having the family over on Christmas Eve, having a tiny Valentine’s Day party, and baking a certain kind of food for a holiday are a tradition! This installs a sense of security and expectation in our precious kids!
Create a list of holidays and make a list of small traditions that you can begin to incorporate into these holidays. Remember, they do not have to be extensive or expensive. Just repeated!
Additional information regarding passing on faith to the next generation is found here.
https://www.singlemomoutwest.com/parenting-as-single-mom/leaving-a-legacy-of-faith/
