Sounds Of Children

We are a loud family.  It is usually a vibrant atmosphere in the Wagner house.  Kids are noisy.  They make weird sound effects, they often forget about "inside" voices, they bang, boom, squeal, and chatter.  Oh, course I can't leave off the sounds of arguments, sibling rivalries, pouting, and anger.  If I had a nickel for the number of times I've said "just be quite" or worse snapped out a "shut-up".

As a parent, it is hard to control the volume of kids.  It can drive us mad-batty.  I remember when our oldest was a baby in the car seat crying her head off.  My husband and I would both attempt to turn down the radio even though it wasn't on just out of habit of trying to control the volume.   I think there must be some kind of connection to  sound sensitivity to getting older it's not just a joke our parents made.  Seriously the sound of chaos is overwhelming. Sending the kids to play in the backyard can bring such tranquility sometimes.  

Yet there are so many moments where the sounds of my kids bring such joy and happiness. These particular moments can be easily neglected if when I get too caught up in the grind of just trying to get some peace and quite. 

I had a sort of "ah-ha" moment the other day as my girls strummed their guitars. Despite their lack of any real skill, the little haphazard chords and melodies actually sounded good.  I mentioned the tranquility of the sound to my husband who agreed.  Then it struck me... how often do I stop to listen to the sound of their childhood like I would the soak in the sound of the ocean?  The sounds my kids make help me to remember their childhood. Their noise reminds me of the good gift of family and parenthood. 

These are some of my favorite noise productions:

My six-year-old has learned to whistle... it's constant lately.  Yes, there are certain moments we have to ask her to stop.  However, listening to her happy little whistling, humming and singing is the sound of just how much she enjoys going about her life as a child. 

Sounds of ninjas/ knights/ cars/ planes/ helicopters/ dinosaurs/ monsters... The sounds boys make when they play is quite something.  Sound effects are a natural talent all boys have. How they love it.  These sounds are an expression of an active imagination.  Certainly my boys need guidance on when it's appropriate to roar like a dinosaur or make their stealthy ninja move. But again the wistfulness of their play (when it remains friendly) is a glorious sound creating unforgettable memories of their childhood.

One of my favorite things my oldest son does is the way he sings as he builds Lego towers and sets up armies of green plastic soldiers.  Sometimes this songs echo the themes of Star Wars or his own dark march.  The best what how he used to sing the tune to 'Thy Strong Word' as his "battle anthem."

My youngest son Isaac lives up to his name.  Isaac in Hebrew means laughter.  He has the best laugh. It's infectious.  A bad moment can be instantly turned around by the sound of his laugh. When he was a baby he would giggle and laugh in his sleep.  It was precious. 

It's no small thing the laughter of a child.  Laughter is more valuable than gold to a family life.  I adore the moments when we all laugh and giggle together. 

I love the sound of hearing my oldest daughter practice her clarinet.  I know that at the early stages of learning to play an instrument (particularly wind instruments) the sounds that come from them can be rather alarming.  What great benefits will this practice offer her!

There are so many sounds made by kids to appreciate.  The sounds of playing, laughing, joking, living together, getting along, making plans, growing, curiosity, wondering, endless questioning,  loving, caring, and forgiving each other, are all worth stopping to take the time to hear.  These sounds are blessings.  All of the sounds of my kids, the good the bad and the ugly, are constant reminders of the privilege of the vocation of parenthood that has been given to me in Christ. We as parents must teach out children to cherish is the sound of praying, praising, and giving thanks to God.  The sound of Gods Word gives peace and hope to all of the other sounds and silences of daily life.  

At the end of the day, as I grow anxious to hear the sounds of bidding each other goodnight and soft sweet snores, it is a comfort to know that no matter what noise they have made throughout the day the sound of their baptismal promise still rings clear.