“Did dinosaurs live on Earth with man? Did a flood really cover the entire earth? Are we a product of random accidents? Did humans evolve from apes? Is there life on other planets? How old is the earth?” Our kids continue to ask the same questions that we asked when we were young. The difference today is that our children have many more places to search for answers than we did, and far too little of what they find is true.
How do you get your children to come to you for those critical worldview-shaping answers? Ridicule rarely works (“Only an idiot would believe we came from monkeys!”) and neither does criticizing a popular school teacher (“He’s an evolutionist and probably an atheist”).
Rather than choosing methods that may alienate your children, find ways to build a relationship of trust with them—then you will become the go-to person for their questions. Here are four areas you can foster to become your children’s number-one resource when it comes to difficult creation questions—easy to remember with the acronym CARE.
- Communication. Communicate that you care about the things that matter to them. Listen to them and pay attention to the things they are interested in. If your son raves about dinosaurs, learn the characteristics of the Stegosaurus and the Tyrannosaurus rex and join the conversation when the topic of dinosaurs comes up.
- Availability. Be available to look up answers, show them sources on the Internet, read books with them, attend workshops, and take them on tours of creation ministries. When you visit museums, zoos, and planetariums, prepare your child beforehand for the theories they will hear and read, and then be ready to discuss their questions.
- Research. As the parent, become informed. Learn the common arguments and study the latest research. If your child asks you something you don’t know, be quick to say, “I don’t know, but I know where we can find the answer.” Go to www.ICR.org, read creation-based resources, watch creation DVDs, and attend conferences. (The ICR website has an archive of thousands of articles dealing with most of the subjects both children and adults have questions about!)
- Environment. Create an environment of learning in your home. Have books and resources available for all ages. Encourage questions, investigative thinking, and research.
At some point, your child will likely become the go-to person in the areas they are passionate about. If you CARE about what’s important to your kids by building the foundation of trust and the habit of investigative research when they are young, then they will be prepared for those high school and college days that challenge their worldview.
We are excited to tell you about our current project—a new DVD series titled Unlocking the Mysteries of Genesis. Dr. Henry Morris III reveals details of this incredible 12-DVD set, currently in production, in his article “Unlocking the Mysteries of Genesis” (pages 5-7). Each episode “offers a biblical view of creation that bridges the generation gap and reconciles faith with science.” Parents, churches, and schools will discover that this resource further equips youth and young adults with “tools to move forward with renewed commitment to their Christian values and faith in God’s unfailing Word.”
* Jayme Durant is Executive Editor at the Institute for Creation Research.
