I wanted to do a quick reaction post to something my wife showed me on an Instagram Reel. The video consisted of a lady giving a plate of food to her toddler who was about three years old. Upon the plate the food was cautiously placed in one of those divider food trays kids need when first beginning to eat while not wanting anything to touch. If you have children, you understand what I am saying. But the particularly troubling thing was where the alphabet shaped food lay in the largest section of the plate. The mother who knew her child could not read, had spelled out on the plate, “You piss me off” as some gleeful music played in the background of the video. She placed the tray right in front of the smiling playful little girl and the video ended there.
I wanted to cry.
Without a doubt there is a toxic parenting culture that simply portrays children as a dread and a burden. I cannot imagine how this baby is treated or spoken to on a daily basis. If the mother is brazen enough to share this type of behavior to the world via a viral social media outlet, I can’t help but wonder how much she shares her vitriol towards her baby to her friends and family concerning her blessing from God. And that is indeed what children are, a blessing from the Lord; a heritage from the Holy One (Psalm 127:3).
I am saddened this kind of attitude is so pervasive in the world we live in today. I have had countless people say offhanded comments to my wife and I about our four blessings. I am proud to say I am developing a robust set of sarcastic comebacks and crack them off with jovial consistency. I am proud of my children and my wife. I am more careful now more than before to make sure I speak favorably about my children around others. I defend them now in more ways than just physically; they need protection emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and so forth.
How we treat and speak of our children says a lot about us as parents. We can honor God by becoming the kind of parents our children will want to honor (Exodus 20:12). SDG!
So very true! Thank you.