Precious, innocent and full of potential, our children are by far the earth’s most valuable renewable resource. As such, it’s our duty as parents, family members and friends to invest in their lives. The values we instill while they’re young will be a guide throughout their lives. I can’t stress enough the importance of raising children who will live out their pro-life beliefs.
There’s an all out battle taking place for the hearts and minds of our young people. In schools, via media and throughout society, there are those who want to persuade our children to adopt liberal philosophies on life issues. Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion activists aren’t content with just having abortion legal. They want it to be accepted and seen as a sacred right. They pollute the thinking of young people with messages of anything-goes sexuality and a rudderless attitude about what’s right or wrong. And they’re not just after teenagers. This indoctrination begins at age five and younger. Their aggressive approach makes it even more necessary that you and I be proactive in teaching our children. Here’s how:
Start Small. It’s never too early to teach your children to respect life. Young kids have an inherent nature to care for life. But it must be nurtured throughout their development in age-appropriate situations. Starting with toddlers and preschoolers, you can already begin to introduce pregnancy and explain that a baby grows inside a mother’s tummy. Even young children are capable of making that connection. Maybe you’ve witnessed a child kissing or talking to his or her mother’s stomach when she’s pregnant.
Make It Visual. Children also enjoy hearing about what it was like when they were getting ready to be born. Show them family pictures during their time in the womb and recount what it was like to feel him or her moving. If there are ultrasound pictures, your child can actually see what he or she looked like during early stages of development. Another helpful visual aid can be fetal models. It’s beautiful to see a small child tenderly cradling an inexpensive model of a 12-week-old baby. This gives them not only a powerful visual impression, but also forms a relationship to the pre-born child.
Share a Story. Storytelling is a proven technique for preschool and elementary students to learn. Books can serve as a valuable resource to educate children about the beginnings of life and introduce a pro-life message. Even the popular Dr. Seuss book, Horton Hears a Who! can be used to affirm life through its message, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
Show Support. Children learn by doing. As a family, you can show your support for mothers and their babies by hosting a baby shower for your local pregnancy care center. Kids of all ages will have fun shopping for the baby items and enjoy the feeling that they’re making a difference.
Make the Most of Media. For those in their teen years, media can be used to spark a conversation. Facing Life Head-On is a weekly, thought-provoking TV program of inspirational people facing life’s biggest challenges. Pro-life movies like October Baby, Bella and Gimme Shelter are entertaining and engaging. Plus, they give the issue of abortion a personal context that’s relevant to their lives.
Affirm Abstinence. Teenagers are being bombarded by a sex-saturated culture. Parents must do more than advocating, “Say no to sex.” You must equip them with a sense of self-worth that they’re more valuable than sexual pressures. In addition, encourage solid decision-making skills by reinforcing how consequences are tied to actions.
Role Play. Help your teen envision how they’d react under certain circumstances. Ask them what they would say to a friend facing an unplanned pregnancy or how would they respond to someone who’s pro-abortion. By walking through potential scenarios, it’ll help the young person feel more confident in expressing his or her pro-life views.
Every baby born since 1973 is part of the “surviving generation” because they survived an era of legalized abortion while more than a quarter of their peers have not. I believe this fact will serve as a great motivation to young people that’ll spur them to be instrumental in ending abortion as we know it. Complacency isn’t an option. We must do our due diligence to set a firm foundation where our children can learn and develop pro-life values. May we be so blessed that they’ll be the generation that not only survives, but overcomes the scourge of abortion.
For young hearts, minds and lives,
Bradley Mattes
Executive Director
Life Issues Institute
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