Connecting With the Heart of Your Childഉദാഹരണം

I have been blessed to have a few close friends from Korea. I cannot tell you how much my parenting has been influenced by these precious moms. While I love American culture, there is a Western tradition of individualism that I think works against us as moms.

My Korean friends slept with their babies in their bedrooms, not just for the first month of the baby's life, but for the first three years. When I asked one of my friends about this difference in parenting, she explained that in Korea, mothers keep their children close, so that their children can be independent from Mom when they are older.

When I asked her at what age, in the traditional Korean culture, they begin emphasizing independence, she said around age twelve, because they are now at an age when they can do more things without assistance. That age seemed so old to me! I recall feeling pressure from my parents to move my eight-week-old baby out of the bassinet in our room to the crib in the nursery.

In Korean culture, the mother’s attachment is valued as a precursor for her children's future health and success. This wisdom challenges our Western push toward early independence. This often works against the deep bond children need for emotional security.

God designed the mother-child relationship to be the foundational relationship for humanity. This isn't accidental but intentional - children who are securely attached to their mothers develop confidence and resilience that serve them throughout life.

Reflection Question: How might cultural pressures toward early independence be working against the deep attachment your child needs for emotional security?