By: Kayla Stevens
Our culture is engaged in a big debate over personal identity. The conclusions reached in that debate will affect our children, especially our toddlers and preschoolers. Personal identity is often the lens through which we view ourselves. It can create or fracture our sense of belonging and community. It reinforces our core values, shapes our worldview, and influences our social and emotional development. And while many of us recognize the value of conversations around identity, we often wait to approach these issues with our kids until the seasons of elementary school, middle school, or even high school. Yet, it is never too early to start talking to our kids about the importance of identity.
When we watch short shows with our preschoolers or sing along to the latest movie soundtrack or playlist in the car, we often encounter identity statements embedded in these lyrics. These are messages that our kids are grasping onto in some of their most impressionable years. Messages like:
Your true self is what matters most; embrace what you feel; or your flaws are a beautiful part of who you are.
We want our preschoolers to explore this world with curiosity and confidence. And, we have the great privilege of starting early by speaking simple, biblical truths of who they are because of who God says they are. This can be done through books, songs, videos, and lessons we teach at home. The more we can impart the simple and memorable truths of biblical identity in the hearts of our little ones, the more equipped they are to recognize false messages and combat them with truth.
Biblical identity truths help preschoolers define and shape their self-worth. They don’t have to figure out who they are or be true to themselves and their desires. They already have a God who has determined their value and worth and says their value is beyond comprehension or measure.
God knows your preschoolers inside and out. He knows the sound of their laugh, the intricacies of their thoughts, and their future. It is God who makes them so very special, and He has incredible plans for them.
Speaking biblical identity truths over your preschoolers reinforces a core value of our faith of Who matters most and how that changes us. It is God who loves us more than we can imagine. It is God who forgives us when we make wrong choices. It is God who is with us, and who cares about us when we get hurt. As preschoolers better understand their identity, this helps them know and connect with God, the One who made them, sees them, and loves them. Giving our youngest kids a foundation of who God is helps root their identity in who He says they are.
It is also important to train preschoolers to recognize and hold tight to biblical identity truths because it helps them create (or develop) a sense of belonging. As you instill the building blocks of faith in their young hearts, you can remind them that they are part of a community built by God. They are never alone because God is with them, and He gives them friends. It is God who takes care of your preschoolers, and it is God who wants them to know Him! Teaching these simple truths helps your preschooler establish a foundation of security and connection both with God and with people around them.
The preschool years are such a gift. It is a season of firsts of growth and change, and a season of vulnerable impressions. What an incredible opportunity we have, right now, to begin speaking truth over our children-simple, biblical, identity truths of who our kids are because of who God says they are. And when those false messages that counter biblical truth are introduced or celebrated, your preschoolers are ready, because they are already standing on a firm foundation. They know who they are because they know who God is, the One who created them and loves them.
Fun Friday: Getting to Know You Activity
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