Conquer Your 'New School Year' Fears
Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 9:00AM
Dawn Wilson in 2 Tim. 1:7, Back to School, Biblical Thinking, Doreen Hanna, Fears about sending children to school, Parenting, Upgrade with Dawn

Doreen Hanna equips and empowers women, and has a special place in her heart for the younger generation. In this Parenting UPGRADE, she helps us face our fears about sending children “off to school.”

“I’m at a loss," Doreen says, "attempting to find an encouraging word to impart to my kids as they start back to school this year!”

I (Dawn) remember those days long ago when I first sent my homeschooled children to a "regular" school. I knew fear is not of God (2 Timothy 1:7), but my mama heart was still concerned they might not remember the values I'd taught them. I wish I'd had Doreen's wise counsel back then.

She continues . . . 

Many moms who are sending their children off to school—be it public, Christian, Montessori, a home-school academy or college—may feel fearful. 

As a mom of two girls, now in their early 40s, I can still remember those lazy summer days. I loved those “don’t have to get up early and get them out the door” days. I enjoyed spending more casual time with them, their friends, and their friends’ moms.

Conversely, I had a reality check one summer, enabling me to see who my girls were choosing to spend time with and what their parents were like. 

Fear gripped my heart, because I saw the power of peer influence like I’d never seen it before.

However, I seized the opportunities and found this was a great way to observe and quietly evaluate everyone without pulling out my Personality Profile test or a Relationship Questionnaire! 

Children playing together reveal so much about who they are. 

And how we parents react when a conflict or crisis transpires between our children reveals so much about us.

To be honest, as moms we are very concerned when see our children not picking the best quality of friends. Or when we see that the parents of their friends are careless about their own children’s behavior, except when it reflects upon them.

The basis of every mom’s greatest concern is really not about the school, it is about the relationships they develop. Peer pressure can trump just about anything if our relationship with our children isn’t one of open communication. 

We often fear WHO is speaking into our children’s lives more than WHAT is being taught! This validates the popular quote, “More is caught than taught.”

Our children can sense or observe our fear. Therefore, as we seek to be faith-believing moms, we need to embrace the words God has given us to live out before our children: 

He has not been given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).

Repeating that regularly helped me greatly back in those days, and still does today in moments when I tend to lean toward fear. Remember …

Our children need to see us as the nurturing queen mother, yet standing boldly as a princess warrior. 

Will you accept the challenge today to memorize 2 Timothy 1:7, enabling you to walk in authority that is filled with love and gives you peace of mind?

Doreen Hanna is the Founder & President of Modern Day Princess. She delights in every opportunity to equip and empower women of all ages, and is the co-author ofRaising a Modern Day Princess. Visit her website for more information about Modern Day Princess.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of stockimages at Freedigital.net.

Article originally appeared on upgradeyourlife (http://upgradewithdawn.com/).
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