Inside: When we are intentional about learning from our kids, it benefits them and us. Plus, it’s biblical! Today, a ten-year-old teaches us about resiliency as we kick off our series on Perfect Square.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for products we love. If you purchase, we get a small commission at no cost to you. We’re just as happy for you to buy local or thrift, and we’ve provided some links on our Resources page.
Yes! Our kids are stepping up to teach, encourage, reflect, and share as we dig into the popular picture book Perfect Square for the next few weeks.
Kids are practiced at so many important things:
- Listening
- Cooperating
- Speaking up for what they need (sometimes more than we would like [wink])
- Observing
- Overcoming
They are always growing!
Learning From Children HELPS THEM GROW
Yet sometimes they don’t realize the wisdom they hold. Often, it wouldn’t occur to them that their ideas could be profoundly meaningful to someone else. That’s why it’s so important for us to make space for them and say, “I want to learn from you.”
Learning from Children HELPS US GROW
In fact, in Luke 18:15-17, Jesus is talking about children when he says, “…the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
If we’re supposed to receive God’s kingdom as little children do, it makes sense that we should go to the source–kids!–to better understand the hows and whys.
People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Luke 18:15-17 NIV
Though kids will often need our guidance as they grow, we have a lot to learn from their faith, passion, and posture in the world.
Confession time
That all sounds well and good–like we are so forward-thinking and intentional. But the idea for the blog takeover was not initiated by the Our Everyday Parable authors…or any adult. Rather, appropriately, the idea was inspired by one of our kids.
Perfect Square Picture Book
Find the book: Bookshop | Amazon
But before I get there, let me introduce you to the book Perfect Square by Michael Hall, where a red square is “perfectly happy” being straight and even and…well…square. But then one day the square is “cut into pieces and poked full of holes.” Readers may feel a twinge of sadness about that until a page turn reveals that the square took its imperfect strips and holes and made itself into a joyous, bubbling fountain.
Each day, the square is crumpled or torn or shredded or snipped. And each day, it makes itself into something beautiful and surprising. I won’t spoil the lovely ending that wraps it all up, but it’s pretty perfect.
Kid Wisdom From Perfect Square
After Karis read Perfect Square with her middle son, he looked at her and said (with a hint of “the gig is up” in his voice), “Okay, I know what you’re trying to tell me.”
Karis was surprised because she truly did not have an agenda in mind when they sat down to read. But not letting on and oh so curious, she said, “What’s that, buddy?”
He answered, “Sometimes things don’t go like I want them to, and you want me to look at things differently and do my best with what I have.”
(Love it! And LOL.)
The Kids Take OVer
So that got us thinking: What if we let the kids teach this book?
We did, of course, and their insights and attention to detail floored us! We’re very excited to share their wisdom, humor, and love with you.
- First up, we have Karis’s post where three very different brothers share inspiration like only they could. See her post “Siblings Share Inspiration from Perfect Square.”
- Then Sarah’s kids, ages 14, 12, and 8, talk about diversity, resilience, and the beauty in the mess in “Perfect Square: Picture Books Aren’t Just for Little Kids.”
- Next Joanna introduces two simple, no-prep discussion questions to start up a deeper conversation with her 6-year-old and 4-year-old. These questions can help kids of any age find God in just about any book. Check them out (as well as the kids’ responses) in “How to Help Kids Find God in Books with Two Simple Questions.”
As we add posts to the series, we’ll link them here. Of course, the best way to get the latest is to join our subscriber community (free). While you’re at it, you’ll get a fun, printable gratitude journal for kids (also free).
We Want to Hear
What are you learning from your kids these days? Leave us a comment below!
Leave a Reply