When our daughters were little they had way too many toys – too many to count, actually. But that started to change as our ideas about family economy and industry in the home changed. Instead of buying toys, we began to invest in tools for our daughters, even at their young ages – tools that would help them cultivate interests, develop skills, and hopefully be a blessing to the home and economies of their future families.
We began to value the family economy and to not simply accept what is now the status quo of women leaving the home to work. I used to work full-time outside the home when our girls were very little, and this was something we did not want to see repeated in the next generation if at all possible.
What changed? We realized that if we wanted our daughters to be able to work from home, we needed to equip them in developing marketable skills. As they honed in on their serious interests, we wanted to help them get off on the right foot by giving them the tools of the trade.
Over the course of several years we accumulated more tools and equipment for them. One year the Lord blessed us with a huge drafting table from a retiring architect. Other times we bought used or just made do with what resources were available.
This isn’t an area where we have to spend an exorbitant amount of money, especially while our children are still exploring where God would have them direct their focus. Sometimes it’s providing them with opportunities to try something out to see if they’d like to further explore a field and collecting helpful books for them to read and learn more about the areas of their gifts and interests.
The beautiful part of this journey is that it will help your children to mature as they realize that life isn’t just about play. (Although, when you are doing productive things that you enjoy it sometimes seems like playing!) They can be a vital part of the home economy in the here and now, as well as in preparing for their future homes and family businesses.
There may be times when it seems like our children have their hands in too many different interests, or maybe they are not interested in anything. Seek the Lord and ask for wisdom in how you and your family should proceed.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
This has been such an exciting adventure for our family, and it’s been a blessing to us as parents to watch our daughters become excited about how the Lord can use the skills that he has blessed them with for His glory.
If you were to start investing in tools for your children, what would that look like?
