Will it be enough?
by: Melody Tan | 8 May 2024 |
We all love labels. Labels help us categorize things, help us make sense of things, help us put things neatly into a box.
Extroverts, introverts. Shy, confident. Athletic, nerdy. Just some of the labels we use to describe ourselves or others. Then there are generational labels. Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), Gen X (1965–1980), Millennials (1981–1996), Gen Z (1997–2010), and the most recent addition: Generation Alpha (2010-present).
My son is a Generation Alpha child. He’s the first generation of kids who grew up never knowing a time when social media and streaming services didn’t exist. A generation who lived through a pandemic and is all too familiar with terms such as “social distance” and “lockdowns.” A generation born into a time when fertility rates around the world are drastically dropping.
His is also a generation to have grown up in an environment where gender and sexuality labels have become part of everyday vernacular, an environment where climate concerns and protection are part of early learning curriculums, and an environment where globalization means we’re no longer restrained by the limitations of distance.
The confluence of globalization and technology means our children are now exposed to diverse opinions, ideas, and beliefs at a much younger age than before. Even when we try to shield our children from what we deem inappropriate information by limiting their screen time at home, it all comes undone as they interact with other children whose parents have a different set of values.
I remember how I used to envy parents with school-aged kids when my son was young. Their kids are independent. They can have conversations with them. They have all that free time when their kids are at school, I used to think. (And while my first two thoughts are true, the third one is a fallacy. The time between school drop-off and pick-up often moves at double speed, and we won’t even venture into the trauma all parents have to go through called homework. But I digress.)
The problem is, children who go to school are exposed to other children who go to school. This is when kids discover there are other ways of doing things and other ways of thinking things—and not all of them line up with what you wish your own children to have. Simply living in our world means my son sees things that don’t align with everything I’ve taught him at home.
Raising my son in a Christian family means I have infused him early with Christian beliefs. One of the first songs I sang to him was “Jesus Loves Me.” Since he started solids, he was taught to say grace before a meal. Going to church on Sabbath has become part of his weekly routine.
At the same time, I don’t want him living in a Christian bubble, unaware most that of the world lives in a very different way than he does. I don’t want him growing up contemptuous of lifestyles different than his.
And so, I struggle.
I struggle because Christians in recent times have gotten an extremely bad reputation as “people who preach love but practice hatred and prejudice.”
I struggle because I don’t know how to reconcile what we believe as “correct” as Christians, while giving others the freedom to live their lives since they don’t believe in Jesus.
I struggle because I wonder how much exposure is appropriate for my son to be aware versus be influenced.
I struggle because the line between absolute right and absolute wrong can sometimes be murky and grey.
I am raising my son with the hopes that he will be part of a generation that will take the time to understand others better. A generation that will grow up to treat others better. A generation that will learn to accept others better.
“Different people are different” is the approach I’ve taken with him. I try to teach him respect while holding true to his own beliefs and convictions. The underlying principle stems from Jesus’ command for us to “love one another” (John 13:34).
Will it be enough for him to treat others with kindness?
Will it be enough that he could change the negative perception of Christians, even if it’s just within his small area of influence?
Will it be enough to ensure he too grows up knowing and experiencing the joy, hope, and peace that comes from a life with God?
Will it be enough?
The only assurance I have? “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Melody Tan is a freelance writer, content creator, and editor for both print and digital. She is currently the project leader of Mums At The Table, a multimedia initiative aimed at supporting mothers in their parenting journey, through education and community. She and her husband live in Sydney, Australia, with their seven-year-old son.
