Topic: Handling abuse in children [Sunday April 12, 2015]
“All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” –Isaiah 54:13
Children are precious gifts to their parents, and you must understand that it is your duty to protect them from the dangers of this world. They are delicate and fragile beings. They cannot help themselves in so many situations, but God has given them to you so you can provide, nurture and guide them; till they are strong and mature enough to do so, on their own.
Child abuse goes beyond the physical. It goes beyond bruises, broken hands or scars. It can be sexual, emotional, physical and/or psychological in nature. Arguably, the most dangerous type of abuse a child can be confronted with is emotional abuse. This has to do with tampering with the child’s ability to think for themselves; influencing their ability to act accordingly or normally. It tells them that they are worth little to nothing. It is therefore worrying to know that this emotional abuse happens for many children, at home.
It may be due to neglect, excessive anger of parents or guardians, minor provocation or abandonment. This leaves the child unhappy, withdrawn, depressed and/or with low self-esteem. The way you handle a child while growing up, determines how they value their adult selves and relate with society. This is why you must pay special attention to them in this formative stage.
You should give them all the care, love and support they need, which is a whole lot; as much as you can. Give them free access to you, so that they can talk about anything they feel confused or pressured about, and can clarify issues which may bother them. As much as possible, avoid shouting and venting in anger on your child. Rather than helping the situation, it exacerbates it, leaving the wrong impression on them.
Children are wonderful; they are fun to be with. All they need at their early stage is to learn how to be better individuals and this will be best communicated to them in love, through action. Anything outside of this plays on their emotions and can make them aggressive and hard to deal with as adults. Therefore, do all it takes now to give them the best of you.
Remain Blessed!
Pastor Faith Abiola Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.
Click HERE to read other Daily Devotional written by Pastor Faith Oyedepo
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