Children Live What They Learn

This folksy saying is really true and I guess that's why it is said so often. I am back in the "mental health services for children" field. My new job - 3 days a week - involves ensuring that all of the case worker reports include the information required by varous regulatoy bodies and in compliance with company policy.

Some of the services range from a 'mentoring' program, which I imagine is similar to a Big Brother/Big Sister type relationship with a bit more focus on building specific skills, to intensive in-home services and the whole range in between.

What is evident in almost 100% of the cases I read about each day at work is that many of the the behavioral/mental health issues of the children are a direct result of the parenting or lack thereof of the adults in their lives. Some of the mental illness might be considered hereditary, but most of it is "nurture" influence.

I grieve for the children in our program as many of them have suffered emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse, struggle with substance abuse and a general lack of coping skills to deal with their daily lives.

I don't know how to stop the cycle, except to do what agencies like the one I work for is trying to do: provide services to the child(ren) and also to the families that are often the source or a mitigating factor in the children ending up in our program in the first place.

What is apparent is that once parents learn how to parent, once they are educated about appropriate behavior and acceptable ways to interact with their children, life improves not only for the children, but for the entire family unit. There a some "success" stories. Those are the ones you live for. Those are the ones that make you want to go to work each day. There's always a chance for improvement.

Children are God's gift to the world. They are our future. We must nurture and love them so they can grow up to nurture and love - themselves and each other and everyone else in the world.

Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children." (Deuteronomy 4:10 NIV)

Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. (Deuteronomy 4:40 NIV)

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (Deuteronomy 6:6-8 NIV)

Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." (Deuteronomy 31:13 NIV)