My guest writers the past three weeks have been “Our Kids” who have written about their losses, as well as written inspirational thoughts they have learned that has helped them in their young life.  I use the term “Our Kids” because, as a society, we each have a role to play in children’s lives who we interact with in our family, school, church, and playground.  They are, indeed, “Our Kids” and God has chosen us to be a vessel in their lives to mature them educationally, socially, and spiritually.

If you missed any posts from my guest writers, you can read them here:

 

• The Loss of my Pet Dog, Rudy: Hannah Breaux
• The Loss of My Pet Dog: Keeleigh Amodeo
• How I Obtained Self-Esteem – Oriana Amodeo

I am letting the kids take a week off so that I can write about something that is troubling me in connection with the curriculum in our churches and Christian schools.  Bear me with why I explain.

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a principal of a Christian school.  Obviously, I was trying to interest her in my book, Helping Hurting Children, as a resource for the students at her school. But what she said to me sort of took me by surprise, and I quote:

“I have kids come into my office needing help from losses all the time, and I don’t know how to help them.  I resort to trying to find something from the internet that I can pass on to them.”

From another conversation with a children’s pastor:

“I have a lot of hurting children in my services and I don’t know what to do with them.”

My immediate thought was that perhaps the principal and children’s pastor are not aware of curriculum from publishing companies that could help them in their school and in their church services.  So, I did a little research on Google.

I googled the topic: Sunday School and Christian School Curriculum.  Can I tell you that I was astounded that well-known Christian publishers did not have one thing to offer in regards to teaching children how to cope with losses even though they are experiencing more losses today than any other time in our history.

Seeing this made me recall a quote I had used when I wrote my own children’s workbook from grief therapist Linda Goldman:

“Our children today are faced with death, divorce, abuse, multiple moves, family addictions, parental imprisonment, terrorism, school violence, natural disasters.

The adult world often judges and labels children negatively for their behaviors.  Many of our children are often labeled ADD or ADHD, “slow learners” or trouble-makers – and when they spiral down far enough, they are then criminalized, hospitalized, or buried.

This is happening because the adult world does not recognize the signs of grief in a child.  If we did, then we could help them before their plea turn into screams and before the screams are forever silenced.”

The most important point that needs to be stressed here is this:

If a professional grief counselor recognizes that children are often mis-labeled as ADD, ADHD, slow learners, or troublemakers when in fact, they are crying out for help, what is that saying about the emotional development curriculum that is being omitted in their life?

Teachers and ministers shouldn’t have to resort to the internet for material to insert here and there to help children recover from the emotional scars of losses.

• Sunday School leaders need something that is as much a part of their curriculum as the stories of David and Goliath, and Jonah and the Whale.
• Christian School teachers need something that is as much a part of their curriculum as reading, math, and science.

That something they need is a curriculum that not only helps in building a foundation in children for their emotional development but helps them cope with losses they face on a daily basis.

 In short, the Curriculum Scales Must Be Balanced.

For our children’s sake, I encourage you to please speak with your church leaders, Sunday School teachers, and/or your Christian School officials about including such a program in their curriculum.

I  leave you with two scriptures to think about as I believe relates to my points.

1.  “Blessed is he who mourns for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

I am sure you recognize this as one of the beatitudes from The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus, Himself, taught the importance of grieving, which means to feel and express sorrow.

My friends, this is what we should be providing for our kids — a resource to learn how to recognize feelings, and how to express them. Only then can we answer their cry for help.

2.  Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them. For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. Then He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them (Mark 10:14; 16 NLT).

If Jesus had time for the children as He went about teaching to the multitudes, shouldn’t we take the time for their emotional development and helping them cope with their losses in a time when history is recording the highest losses ever?

As we apply these scriptures, the Curriculum Scales Will Be Balanced.