By Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director
I’m skipping the introduction and the set-up of my book to get right into the meat that I begin to share in chapter three. There, I begin to walk through what I call “The Five Things You Owe Your Kids.” This list comes from a conversation with a past leader of Houston’s CPS (Child Protective Services) where I asked the question, “What is the very least a parent can do and provide before you would label them as neglectful?”
At first, she was understandably baffled by my question, but I went on to explain my rationale: I was seeking contrast— the contrast between what is actually required by our secular government, and all that we provide for our kids, both good and bad. I discovered all that is required of parents is five things. All the other things we provide outside of these five are extras. Some of these extras are very healthy and conducive to raising great kids, but many of the things we provide can be toxic. Let’s explore the first of the five.
Food. Yes, it is intuitive to any emotionally stable parent that it is within their duties as a parent to provide their children with food. A healthy, balanced diet and regular and consistent mealtimes are essential and should never be neglected. Yet many parents raise their children on food that is not healthy. Processed foods, excessive sugar, and loads of simple carbs are tools of the unwise parent. I have heard parents say that their children just won’t eat healthy foods. I have been to impoverished countries where the children will eat almost anything, including rancid rice and very questionable meats. No one can convince me that a hungry child will not eat healthy foods. It is just easier to reward them for eating two bites of broccoli with dessert than to withhold junk food and wait until they are hungry enough to eat what is good for them.
Any loving parent will ensure that their kids get enough to eat to fuel their growing bodies, but the childhood epidemic of obesity and early-onset diabetes is evidence that we are often over-fueling our kids on the wrong fuel. As Christ-following parents, we are the ones responsible for what goes into the bodies of our children. Feeding your kids is essential. Feeding them right is responsible.
Order Curt’s book, White Knuckle Parenting, for more wisdom on raising kids at every age.
