8 August 2008
Teaching Children about Flattery
Posted by Michelle under: Communication and Meaning; .
The other day we were talking about flattery in the Bible. Since the immoral woman uses flattery to ensnare simple people, I want to help my children understand this device of our enemy. I know they’re young, but I realize that even young people are succeptible to physical and moral danger through flattery; therefore, I’ve tried to explain it.
Have you ever tried to explain flattery to five and three year olds? Flattery is when you say nice things to someone in order to get something. No, flattery isn’t just saying nice things. The motive of flattery is to get something. In the Bible, the motive of flattery is to get someone to sin. Motive? That’s why you do something.
Eventually, by the time we define words and talk about it, it seems that all the meaning is lost. I was discouraged, and not at all convinced they understood anything I was saying.
Until today.
I happened to be reading Aesop’s fables to my children, and we were reading one about the fox, which, if you recall, is a master of flattery. Since it was only a few days ago that we were trying to understand flattery, I brought it up.
Was the fox telling the rooster something true? No. Why was he telling those things to the rooster? So he could eat him up. Did the rooster like hearing those nice things about himself? Yes.
I actually think they have a greater understanding now. We’ll have to read some more about the fox in the near future.
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- Is Obeying by Fear a Bad Thing?
- The Strange Woman and a Preschooler
- Discouragement and Potty Training
- Using Bible Vocabulary
- Total Depravity of Toddlers
