You can't do everything, but you can do something.

 

When I shared some of the ways we protect our kids by by limiting access to phonography, the most common response I got was, "They will just look at their friends' house, or on their friend's phone."

When I shared how I was trying to prepare my kids for future financial decisions, a few responses I got were, "You can't teach them everything they need for adulthood, they have to figure out these things on their their own." 

We tend to think in extremes.  I either have to do it all, or I have to be ok with not being able to do anything.  

We all probably fall somewhere on a spectrum between two extremes:

1. We have to fill in every single educational gap or we fail as a parent/homeschool mom.  

2. I can't do it all and my kids will need to learn these hard lessons on their own to make it in life.

You can't do everything, but you can do something.

To those who are frantic finding ways to fill in every single educational gap, slow down and take a breathe. You can't do it all, but you can do something. 

To those who have thrown their hands up in defeat because they can't do it all, take a breathe and don't give up. You can't do it all, but you can do something.

Can you teach your child every answer to Current Events? No

But you can teach them how to read history with a critical eye, so that they can use those skills to discern bias or nationalism. You can teach them how to read living books with vivid stories about people in different cultures and lifestyles than them so they develop compassion for people outside of their own experience.

Can you teach your child every recipe they will ever need? Not likely. 

But you can teach them how to read a recipe, make a meal plan, food safety, and how to handle a knife.

Can you teach your students the answers to every questions in their spiritual life?  Never.

But you can teach them reading comprehension skills in English that they will need to study the Bible.  You can teach them how to ask questions when they are confused, and be a safe space to talk about doubt.

Can you teach them about every financial decision they will ever have to make, and prevent every bad spending decision they could encounter? Nope.

But you can teach them how to make a sample monthly budget, what taxes are, how to identify their own spending habits.  You can be open about your personal spending habits, and mistakes you've made.  You can show the charts about the importance of saving early for retirement, and teach them how to find experts who know more than you.

Can you make sure your child never sees pornography in their life? Definitely not.

But you can protect their young minds while they are still developing with the use of safe search filters,  parental control, and limited access to "porn in your pocket" smart phones. You can teach them about the scientifically proven adverse effects of porn use on their love lives and brain using resources from Fight the New Drug.  You can be open and honest about your own personal struggles with sexual sin (age appropriate of course), and how no one is above in temptation. 

Just because I can't do everything doesn't mean I should do nothing.