Friday's Challenge on Posted by Rebekah

Every Friday @ 12:30pm (CST), you can hear a weekly challenge from me on Faith Music Radio.  My podcast is called Posted by Rebekah. You can listen online HERE or download the free app for your smartphone.  I would love for you to join us, listen and take the challenge!
Tune in any time of the day to Faith Music Radio for uplifting Christian music and talk. 

Here is today's podcast in blog post form. :)

Here I am…once again…sitting at a softball game.  SO many thoughts run through my head at these games.  Oddly enough, parenting thoughts are my biggest train of thought.

You see, when a softball mom sits and watches her daughter pitch or bat or field a ball, you get anxious.  Like “I might have a stroke” kind of anxious.  When all eyes are on your kid and it all depends on them if they can throw a strike or not…it is a bit nerve-wracking.

Because you don’t want them to fail.  Especially not in front of a crowd of people.  And not fail a team that is depending on them. 

And most of all, you want them to gain that confidence.  You know that confidence, moms.  We all know when our kids have it.  And it is the best feeling in the world.

However, that confidence doesn’t come from the cheers in the stand.  It doesn’t come from the high fives from the team.  It doesn’t come from the “Great job” from the coach.

It really comes from when they stand there on that pitcher mound and face that batter.  It comes when they take a deep breath and throw that ball…and strike out that batter.  

You see, it comes from facing their fears…and attacking it…and doing it all on their own.

What do I think about while I sit in the stands?  This is building my kid.  She is learning that life isn’t fair…and that is OK.  And if she comes to Mom…I will say, Shake it off and work harder!  She is learning that she has to do this on her own.  Her coach, mom, dad, friends…can’t throw the ball for her.  We can’t hold her hands while she bats.  She is on her own.

And that is how it needs to be.  We are raising a generation of young adults that don’t know how to face life.  Why?  

Because we have taken all opportunities when they are young to learn and done it for them.  We take them out of situations when they are fearful or failing to protect them…in the end…they will always need someone there to help them make it.

You see, confidence comes to your child when you “throw them in”.  Make them, yes, make them, face their fears.  Let them fail!  Then make them get back up and try again.  And after lots of hard work, they will succeed and you will gain what you hoped for your child all along – confidence.

And what a beautiful thing that is to a parent. 

So today’s challenge is:  What can I do better to boost the confidence in my children?  

I hope I have encouraged you to make them face their fears and when they fail, to get back up and do it again and again.

Will you take the challenge?