Childishness

In an issue of CT magazine, author Jen Wilkin writes:

Individualism says that I should do what’s best for me regardless of what’s best for others. Instant gratification assures me that waiting is an enemy to eliminate. At every turn, I am told that I can and should have what I want when I want it.

Earlier this year, my husband and I spent two weeks with an apparent narcissist named Charlotte. From the moment we stepped into her space, it was all about her. She demanded our full attention day and night. Forget rational arguments or the needs of others; it was The Charlotte Show 24/7. She thought only of herself and demanded loudly and often that her needs be met. Our schedules bowed to her every whim. She uttered not a word of gratitude during the entire 14 days.

And we didn’t mind one bit. Because all 7 pounds and 15 ounces of her was doing exactly what she should. Our newest grandchild’s age-appropriate focus is to declare, Me, right now! Any time she is tired, hungry, or needs a clean diaper. Babies self-advocate as a survival instinct. They understand only the immediate need.

But what is appropriate in an infant is appalling in an adult. In its obsession with “me, right now,” our culture doesn’t just worship youthfulness; it worships childishness, legitimizing it into adulthood. An adult who demands what he wants when he wants it is a costly presence in any community, prioritizing his own needs above those of others and of the group. He has not learned to “put away childish things,” as the Bible says (1 Cor. 13:11, KJV); he has managed to grow physically from a baby to an adult without shedding the childish mantra of “me, right now.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

As parents, our first challenge is to meet the needs of babies crying out, “Me, right now.” But our greater task over the years is to train our children to mature and outgrow their entitlement, to resist the narcissistic norms of our age. It is our job as Christian parents to move our children from the immaturity of individualism and instant gratification to the maturity of sacrificial service and delayed gratification.

Do you ever find yourself reminiscing over your favorite childhood toys or memories? A new survey reveals that four in five Americans may be “kidults”—still looking up their childhood favorites for nostalgia.

The poll of 2,000 American Gen Zers and Millennials found that, if given the opportunity, 67 percent would try to buy a replica of something from their childhood and 76 percent feel a sense of nostalgia in the process. This comes as two in three (65%) adults realize they can now buy things for themselves that their parents would never let them have or couldn’t buy for them as a kid.

Commissioned by MGA’s Miniverse, the study found 59 percent of people consider themselves kidults—adults who hold onto their childhood spirit through consumer products like video games, toys, books, movies, fashion, and so on.

Isaac Larian at MGA Entertainment said,

Embracing nostalgia is a big part of being a ‘kidult.’ That feeling gives us the ability to hold onto the imagination and creativity we often associate with childhood. In many ways, holding onto toys and collectibles from our past is both liberating and entertaining, and miniature versions of them makes this experience more accessible. ... (Having) mini toys on display is a constant reminder of being a kid at heart.

Possible Preaching Angle:

It can be enjoyable to relive childish memories and even collect childhood toys. But it can also become a snare for some who never grow to maturity, especially spiritually. Some are content to remain a spiritual babe and never grow to adulthood in their faith (1 Cor. 3:1-3; Heb. 5:12-14).

When Keith Stonehouse started receiving a flurry of orders from the takeout service GrubHub, it didn’t take him long to realize what had happened. Stonehouse had allowed his six-year-old son Mason to play on his phone before bed. Mason rewarded his kindness by ordering a whole lot of food. “Why did you do this?” asked Stonehouse to Mason, who hid under his comforter. Mason replied, “I don’t know. I was hungry.” Mason then proceeded to interrupt his father’s lecture to ask if the pizzas he ordered had arrived yet.

Stonehouse later said that the $439 pizza order was canceled by his bank for appearing fraudulent. But that more than $1,000 worth of food was successfully ordered and delivered, creating a very full refrigerator and emergency offers to friends and neighbors to share the unforeseen bounty. Stonehouse said, “I had to keep stepping out of [his] room and calming myself down. You want to yell at your son, but he’s only six.”

The next day, Stonehouse and his wife sat down with Mason and had a talk with him, explaining the gravity of his actions. They explained that because he did this without permission, they would have to use the $150 in his piggy bank to help pay for all the hot dogs, chili cheese fries, jumbo shrimps, and other foods. Stonehouse said, “We showed him one-by-one. He was a little devastated but he understood.”

​Possible Preaching Angle:

We've all had moments where our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, but immaturity only increases our susceptibility to temptation.

Like many mothers of two-year-olds, Kayla Sullivan had just about had it with her son’s outbursts in public. So she recorded a video for her followers on the social video platform TikTok.

But unlike most moms, Sullivan did it with the poise and sense of humor of a seasoned television professional. That’s because Sullivan had experience as a television news reporter. So, her on-the-scene account from outside her child’s bedroom contained all the rhythms and cadences of a live news report.

Sullivan says in her TikTok, “Reporting live from outside my son’s bedroom where he is currently being detained until naptime is over. Now this story does involve a minor so I can’t release specifics. But what I can confirm is my son is a 2-year-old terrorist who held me hostage at the Olive Garden earlier today.”

Sullivan concluded her story by explaining that an attentive server in the restaurant responded to her son’s tantrum by quickly bringing a bottle of ketchup. She then summed up the situation with an epitaph: “Unfortunately, her good deed was later punished after he threw a ketchup-covered fork at her. Not all heroes wear capes, but this one should’ve worn an apron.”

After the TikTok video went viral, Sullivan was back on the airwaves as an interview guest. She said, “He’s not actually a 2-year-old terrorist. But sometimes it does feel like he’s holding me hostage in public.”

Ultimately, according to Sullivan, she just wants other parents that experience similar behavior from their children to know that they’re not alone.

Possible Preaching Angle:

There is joy to be found in the everyday struggles of parenting if we can keep our wits and maintain a sense of humor, for God is at work in any and every situation, even the most mundane.

What would you do for a cheeseburger?

If you're an eight-year-old Ohio boy whose parents have already gone to bed, then you might just watch some YouTube videos to teach yourself how to drive, grab your little sister, and head to the closest McDonald's.

According to the local police, the boy "got a sudden urge for a Mickey D's cheeseburger"—unfortunately, it was after he had already eaten his dinner and also after "both of his parents had fallen asleep after a busy day."

So, naturally, "he watched driving instruction videos on YouTube for a few minutes before putting his four-year-old sister in his dad's van so they could get their fix."

How did he do? "The young driver managed to safely get through four intersections before getting to a McDonald's drive-through about 1.5 miles from the house." When they actually came through the drive-through, "employees actually thought they were being pranked," said a local patrolman, who was called to the scene once it was determined the kids were there alone.

The boy did figure out that what he had done was wrong (and actually illegal), and when he did so, "he burst into tears." But both he and his sister got what they came for: They were able to "eat their cheeseburgers while waiting for their grandparents to pick them up."

Potential Preaching Angles: The Huffington Post's account of this story opens with the line "Ever crave something so badly you'll do anything to get it?" On a positive note, this kid sure knew how to pursue his goals. On a negative note, sometimes our cravings can sure lead us astray.

When we are too young, we do not judge well; so, also, when we are too old. If we do not think enough, or if we think too much on any matter, we get obstinate and infatuated about it. If one considers one's work immediately after having done it, one is entirely prepossessed in its favor; by delaying too long, one can no longer enter into the spirit of it. So with pictures seen from too far or too near; there is but one exact point which is the true place wherefrom to look at them: the rest are too near, too far, too high, or too low.

A pretty good case can be made that the "adult movies" for "mature audiences" actually are designed to attract only the most juvenile customers. In an age when every conceivable subgroup of citizens takes offense if they are insulted or stereo-typed in the slightest way, adults ought to be ticked off that the word "adult" has come to be used in this manner.

My four-year-old likes to say the blessing at mealtimes, usually repeating the same short prayer: "Thank you, God, for this gracious food. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."

One evening, however, he thanked the Lord for the birds, the trees, each of his friends, and asked God to watch over his family and help them to be good. I was thrilled that he was finally praying from the heart.

But after the "Amen," he took a spoonful of stew, gasped, then dropped his spoon into the bowl. "I should have said a longer prayer," he said. "My food is still too hot."

There is an old story about a mother who walks in on her six-year-old son and finds him sobbing.

"What's the matter?" she asks.

"I've just figured out how to tie my shoes."

"Well, honey, that's wonderful."

Being a wise mother, she recognizes his victory in the Eriksonian struggle of autonomy versus doubt: "You're growing up, but why are you crying?"

"Because," he says, "now I'll have to do it every day for the rest of my life."