Our Children's Experience

Jacqui James discusses the importance that we commit to raising our children and youth to become Unitarian Universalists in adulthood. "My children, now grown, reflect on the love and acceptance they felt from most of the congregation in which they grew up. They remember fondly the teachers who cared enough to show up week after week and treat them with respect and acceptance. They don't always remember what the content of the lessons was, but they certainly remember the character and caring of the poeple around them. All of our children and youth deserve nothing less." This is from her essay "Building Strong and Radical Religious Communities" in Essex Conversations.

I'm not sure that this quote captures the essence of her overall point with the essay, but it is the point that stopped me, and made me reread it, and enjoy the clarity with which she expressed this important principle, one which I have embraced since the beginning of my religious education career.

I read Essex conversations at the beginning of my career 3 years ago, so it may well have been this very quote that instilled this belief into me. At teacher trainings, I always go over the UU principles and briefly discuss how they inform us as teachers. For the first principle, it is always this: That no matter what story we tell, or what social justice project we do, if our children do not walk away having experienced that we recognize their inherent worth and dignity, we have failed. And on the contrary, if the lesson plan falls apart, or the project is too demanding, but the child walks away knowing that we honor them, the day is a success.

And, not to fall into the trap of raising self centered children, it is also a part of a successful day if our children, when faced with interpersonal challenges, leave learning to respect the inherent worth and dignity of other children in their class, and members of the congregation and the community at large. They get this best when it is modeled by the adult guides in their class and community.