Helping Your Child ThriveSample

NURTURING YOUR CHILD'S NATURAL TALENT

Ever wonder how to nurture your child’s natural talents in sports, music, or other areas? A good place to start is by asking, “Who’s more interested in this activity? My child … or me?”

When my oldest son, Trent, was 5, we signed him up for T-ball. Excitement was in the air. Well, at least I was excited. On the big day, the coach sent us to the outfield. It was the moment I’d been waiting for – father and son, bonding together over baseball. This was going to be great!

After thirty minutes without much action, I could see Trent’s shoulders had sunk just a little. “Are you doin’ okay?” I asked.

“Not really, dad,” he said.

It was pretty clear his heart just wasn’t in it. “Would you rather get a milkshake?” I asked.

And with that, Trent’s baseball career was over.

As parents, we often want our kids to try different activities, to have fun, and to explore their talents. But if we’re not careful, we can steer them into endeavors we enjoy instead of the ones they’d prefer. It’s okay to let some things they may not be interested in fall by the wayside. If you encourage them along the way, they’ll discover who God has designed them to be, and they’ll eventually find the place where they best fit.

Skip ahead a few years, and my son, who didn’t care much for baseball, couldn’t wait to tell me he’d won the chess club championship! And the idea of trading his chessboard for a milkshake? Forget it. He’d never even consider it.