Tractor DriverSelf esteem is a very delicate thing. Each of us as adults has arrived at our own level of self esteem in many different ways. God gives us each our own worth by simply making us and saving us! Self esteem for children is so easily built up or torn down by peers, parents, teachers, or relatives.

How do we, as parents and teachers, deal with children when they sin, or how do we deal differently when they make innocent mistakes? There is a difference. Sin is against God’s Law, a wrong! An innocent mistake may be accidently spilling milk or knocking a vase off the shelf. In this PP, I’m speaking of innocent mistakes.

 

We can greatly hurt a child by inappropriate responses to innocent mistakes. For instance, when a child accidently overturns a glass of milk, he doesn’t need to be yelled at, called names, or belittled. He already knows he spilled the milk. He probably already feels badly enough without an unkind reminder of his “clutsiness.” Maybe an understanding, helping hand would be a better response here.

I’m remembering my childhood, when my father did a lot to preserve my self esteem. Growing up on the farm, one learns to drive at a very early age. Little Ford tractors were great for that. I was only eight when I began driving. I was ten when I turned the tractor too sharply, and bent the tongue of the hay wagon. I was 13 when I backed one wheel of the car off the auto gate, and I was 14 when I tried to turn a car around in the middle of the road, and ended up in the ditch. The first episode ended the bale gathering two days while my father repaired the damage. The second halted irrigating two hours while Dad got the car out of the auto gate, and the third incident ended Dad’s planting for an entire afternoon while he walked the mile and a half home to get the tractor to pull me out. (Even in those days, Dad didn’t feel it was safe for his daughter to walk alone in the country.) I remember these three incidents very well. I know that in every single one I had greatly inconvenienced my dad, although he never told me that. What I do remember is that in my moments of great embarrassment and humiliation, my father never raised his voice, but assured me the problem wasn’t too great to be fixed. He stopped what he was doing, quietly helped me out of my mess, and helped me preserve my dignity. He helped me maintain my self confidence when I’m sure he may have wanted to lock me up until I was ready for driving school! I remember nothing but words of encouragement and confidence in me as he went on to teach me to drive bigger and bigger tractors and trucks.

I was very grateful for my father’s confidence in me. It’s a big scary world out there (scarier than when I was growing up!) Children need to feel parental confidence and acceptance, even when, especially when, they innocently “mess up!”

Come By and Visit!

We are located at the corner of 72nd Street and Overland Drive in the Northland.

To schedule your tour, call Lisa Martens at 816-734-1060 ext 224.

7112 N Overland Drive

 

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