Kid Perspective

I recently heard a podcast of the radio program, This American Life, entitled "Kid Logic."  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/188/kid-logic
I liked the program and the title. This American Life is produced by WBEZ Chicago and distributed by Public Radio International.

Since hearing that title I've been thinking about a kid's perspective on a lot of things. I remember as a child  one of the chores that my two brothers and I had was washing dishes. Since there were three of us, we were on a rotating schedule; each night we would rotate like volleyball. One would wash and rinse; one would dry; one would put away. I can remember how hard we thought this job was and how much we hated it. Slave labor! Haven't you heard of the Emancipation Proclamation? Lincoln freed the slaves.


Another kid perspective that is out of whack is the matter of fear. As a child I was afraid of any number of things that are no real threat at all. For example, after seeing my uncle's comic books, I was afraid of dinosaurs. You know the type that crush cities and carry off pretty girls. Now really. When was a little girl in Iowa threatened by a real dinosaur? No time recently.

Occasionally, we would get reports of panther or mountain lion sightings. As far as I know, these were pretty much unsubstantiated, but they gave my imagination a starting point. I imagined a panther in the oak tree outside my bedroom window. We had a double porch on the front of the big square farm house. The second story of the porch was outside my room, and so it was a very easy leap from the tree to the porch and then the cat could climb right in the window and pounce on me in the bed! I thought of closing the window, but then I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hear him coming. Also, I didn't dare sleep without covers. I mean wouldn't you rather have something, even a sheet, between you and a panther?

And then there's the matter of worry. Kids don't know how to process information, especially overheard information. Dad was a worrier, and he verbalized every worry that flitted through his head. Now that I think of it, most of these worries had something to do with things over which he had no control, and they all had to do with farming. Not enough rain, too much rain, too hot and dry, too cool and rainy, corn prices in the tank, cattle prices plummeting. As a result, I worried too that we were inching toward bankruptcy. I now know the truth was that we were solidly middle class and probably in much better shape than many of our neighbors since my parents were conservative--though not tight--about spending.

Parents can help assuage some of these torturous fears. Reassurance helps, but to be honest, no matter how many times my parents insisted that no dinosaurs roamed the great plains, I was still afraid. I honestly believe these irrational fears are something the child himself must come to terms with. Regarding the work problem; well, maturity teaches us to put that into perspective. Once we have real responsibility, we know how easy we had it as kids. As for the issue of worry, I think parents should be careful not to verbalize their own worries within kids' hearing. And most important, children should be taught the scripture, and they should see their parents sincerely trust God for everyday needs.

...the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7 (NIV)