National Child Abuse Prevention Month

You may or may not know that this month, April, is National Child Abuse Prevention month. This subject is very near and dear to my heart. I wasn't going to make a post at all about it until a friend of mine did. Although she felt the need to take her post down, her story encouraged me to speak up.

I am not going to share my experiences here but I will say that I have experienced, first hand, the affects of child abuse.

I try to be as uplifting as possible when I share my feelings and experiences on social media, but child abuse is NOT to be taken lightly nor is it something that should be ignored or tip-toed around. It DOES happen. Likely, more often than you could ever realize. Children, on a daily basis, however severe the case may or may not be, are being hurt. Physically, verbally, and emotionally abused. 

When did this become okay? 

Is it acceptable to physically hurt your spouse, parent, neighbor, friend, or any other person? No.

Does it become acceptable to physically hurt them when they have made a mistake, whether it be that they were caught in a lie, or they have simply made a mess in the kitchen? No.

So, why do some feel it is acceptable to do so to a child? They are not our slaves. They are not here to serve us and meet our demands. They are most certainly not our punching bags; to smack around when we feel it has been deserved. 

We have been privileged with the task of raising children by a loving Heavenly Father. If in His presence, would we discipline our children if they have made wrongful decisions? Of course! We are here to teach them and raise them to be good people that contribute goodness to the world. But, would you hit or verbally attack your child in His presence? I would venture to say- absolutely not.

I am grateful for my life experiences. I am not sure that I would change them, because they have helped to shape who I am today. I feel that it has allowed me to connect with others in ways that might not have been possible otherwise. It has given me a perspective that others may not have. And it has given me a deeper appreciation for my loved ones and the grace that the atonement offers.

But I would never wish my experiences on any child. If I could, I would scoop up every child suffering and hold them until they knew how important they are. How precious they are. How loved they truly are.

Please, love your children and practice mercy. Pray to Heavenly Father to know how best to raise your children. Show kindness and mercy to children who are not your own, because you never know what may be happening to them behind closed doors. And show kindness and mercy to all, for you never know what they have been asked to endure in this life.