Do You Want Your Children to Have a Small World or a Huge World? | Episode 575

And so I'm not saying that one is better than the other, but we do have an effect on how big our world children's exposure is and whether they live in a very small minded way or small community.

And that's okay there.

I'm not discrediting that, but if you're wanting to have them to think in very expansive ways, there are some things that you can do.

And I want to talk about one thing that you can do in your home.

And it is to have what we call hospitality.

You know, in your home, if you bring other people into your home that are from your different community or they do different jobs or they have different persuasions and have conversations with those people in the presence of your children, Your children, whether they are participating in the conversation or not, they see and hear the stories of other people.

We make a habit of trying to have people that are from out of town visit us because when our children were small, that was one way for us to introduce them to the rest of the world.

Your children may be happy whenever they encounter other people and it expands their world.

Whether they ever... go to the places these people are from or do the jobs or have the experience that other people have had, it opens their mind to understand that the world is not all like their personal experience.

It really helps a person to grow intellectually, emotionally, and philosophically.

by seeing and knowing people that are different than themselves, different races, different religions, different cultures.

So to the degree that you can have people in your home, even people that are just like you, you think, There's something different about them.

Having your home to be a place that's inviting other people, and it doesn't have to be about food.

You could have them over for a dessert, a slice of watermelon we would do in the South.

In the summer, have homemade ice cream or something that is a reason to invite someone into your home.

Certainly, your children should know your neighbors.

And there's something different you will learn about your neighbor if they come into your house.

You will see and understand them differently.

And your children will see and understand them differently.

And in fact, your children will be more known by them.

So if there is a problem with a neighbor, hospitality is a solution.

They can bring them into your family and they can see you for who you are.

And they see your children.

And no longer are the children the pesky little ones that knock over the trash can.

Yes, your children need to think about the neighbor and clean up.