Count the Coins - Chrissy Wiles Harrison

Please join me in welcoming Chrissy Wiles Harrison, the main contributor to our new Parent Talk page. Although we may occasionally feature other writers on this page, she will be our featured writer.  

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 NIV

While pregnant with my firstborn, I took a seasonal job at Toys R Us. I know—the perfect way to jump into motherhood, right? As you can imagine, it was chaos. Not the store—it actually had a nice layout and system in place—but the time of year. Hot new toys plus eager, overwhelmed parents plus Christmas-time busyness equals far less patience all around.

But I’ll never forget one customer and his son. A line formed behind them as they waited in line at my register. And I’m not talking about a normal line. This was a long, giving-me-evil-looks, ready-to-be-checked-out-and-move-on-with-their-lives line.

The man’s son counted out every single coin he had so he could buy his toy. My insides were dying. I was frantic about the entire process. How long would this kid take? Can’t his dad help him? Doesn’t he see this insane line behind them? Do my customers think it’s my fault? Are they going to be upset with me?

Maybe my face showed how I felt, or maybe the dad offered advice to my pregnant-cashier self, but he looked up at me and said something I’ll never forget: “You never miss an opportunity to teach them.”

Suddenly, my mind quieted. What a profound lesson this dad had just taught me and one the Lord reminds me of frequently.

According to an observation floating around the internet, seventy-five percent of all the time a parent will spend with a child is complete by the time they reach twelve. And by the time they turn eighteen, well, ninety percent of parent-child time is already spent (timesfreepress.com).

How much time have I already missed teaching my children—I am often far too busy or worried about other things that I forget the little time we have left. They need to know so many things. Sometimes, I forget I’m the one who must teach all of it to them: respect, manners, and life skills (soooo many life skills). Also that it’s okay to make mistakes and that they are loved.

Most importantly, to teach them about their Savior and how to have a relationship with him. But to lead them to this place, I must stop being so busy or worried about others and let them count the coins.

God told the Israelites to teach their children. Think of some ways you can teach yours to count the coins.

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Chrissy Wiles Harrison is a homeschooling mom who shares her home with four rambunctious boys, one husband, and a small pooch—and loves
every minute of it. 

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