Raising Children Who Value Courage and Curiosity

The Gambrell children

As a millennial mother, I carry the experience of living between two drastically different worlds. I remember a time before the internet dominated our lives, and I also understand the opportunities digital platforms create. That balance shapes how I guide my children. I want them to dream boldly without apology, but also to know that community and purpose will always matter more than algorithms.

I am celebrating another blessed Mother’s Day, my seventh to be exact, reflecting on who I want my children to be.

As a parent, my greatest hope is that my children have the courage and ability to successfully chart their own path all while keeping God at the center of their lives.

Best friends, forever!

With that being said, I welcome them to question societal norms, embrace individuality, and pursue passions that serve both themselves and our future world.

I want my forever favorite boy and forever favorite girl to live audacious lives centered around God’s purpose for them while keeping it in mind both integrity and compassion at all times.

J2

As reported recently in Fortune Magazine, kids previously equated creativity with such things as painting or music, and now they see creativity through things like technology, social media, and even gaming. I must admit, my children love technology, social media, and gaming. I am comfortable with them using these platforms under adult supervision for such things as educational videos, learning about the greatest artist of all time Micheal Jackson, worshiping to gospel music (they love to sing), learning the latest dance choreography, sharpening math skills, which is my son’s favorite thing to do in the world (he loves tackling math books, math problems, and plays with a calculator), and much more. Utilizing technolory tools are necessary for innovation. More than this, my desire is that my children never stop valuing a big imagination, endless empathy, and stedfast curiosity. 

As a millennial mother, I carry the experience of living between two drastically different worlds. I remember a time before the internet dominated our lives, and I also understand the opportunities digital platforms create. That balance shapes how I guide my children.

I want my children to dream boldly without apology, but also to know that community and purpose will always matter more than algorithms.

I am thankful for our village — family, amazing God Parents, framily (friends that are family), all of their cousins, aunts and uncles. We love the Gambrell children unconditionally, even when we may need to course correct, and especially when we need to cheer from the mountaintops how great they are so they’ll never forget nor question their greatness and superb destiny. May they remain their ancestors’ wildest dreams.