We admire the person who has courage to step forward and attempt something others only dream of doing.  We also know of people who keep making fools of themselves because their courage is not seasoned with caution.  In my home, my mother was always telling me to be creative, never take a failure as anything other than the end of one dream, never quit trying to find a new way …  My father would warn me to do things others accepted – but do it better than them.

  My mother would point to the ripest mangos at the very top of the tree and my father would warn me not to step out too far on the limb.  I have always challenged my children to take risks and my wife comforts them when they fail or get hurt.  There is a healthy balance, but today let’s think of how courage can help make our homes happy homes.

J. Oswald Saunders defined courage as, “…that quality of mind which enables a person to encounter danger or difficulty with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits … The highest degree of courage is seen in the person who is most fearful but refuses to capitulate to it.”  How do we encourage courage in our children?

Know your children well.  Each child is different with different capabilities of extending themselves beyond where they are comfortable.  One key is never to allow our children get to the point where they are defeated.  Defeat is OK, but being defeated should never happen to our children.  I have taught each of my children to ride a bicycle.  With 3 of my children, we laughed hysterically when they fell, got up and fell again.  They learned quickly, recklessly and experimented constantly.  For the other 2, I ran alongside their bicycles for kilometers and would not allow a single fall.  All my children became excellent riders.  All were winners.  Each was extended past their comfort in order to reach a goal where they were winners.

Encourage your child regardless of the results.  Your child has been courageous, stepped out where they thought was impossible and has learned lessons they never would have learned without courage.  If your child like staying in doors, encourage them to read different styles of books, learn to play different instruments, learn to sew, cook or explore the internet.  If your child loves the outdoors, get them into sporting clubs, let them work with your car mechanic, learn plants from your gardener or help you barbeque lomo.

None of us are perfect as individuals – nor are our marriages perfect.  As we work together to maintain our love and a strong marriage, our homes will be a good environment for growing and happy children.