Humility

Where can our souls find humility in a culture that only values pride? Whether we are proud to be Irish, proud of our children, or proud of our own accomplishments, we are surrounded by pride. St. Francis and St. Therese in their quest for humility renounced the world and their own imperfect souls and bodies. In the 1950s (not sure about when it was really), psychologist believed that all things of the flesh were sinful and that children are born sinful. Where do things go wrong? In their statements and philosophies they had forgotten that all things of God are good. That rather then dwell on our vile bodies and the sins we are prone to, we need to repent and sanctify. What does this mean as parents? How do we raise our children to be full of love so that they may be better able to understand the perfect love of God our Heavenly Father while simultaneously not filling them with pride in themselves. Is it really necessary to compliment and reward them for their good behaviors or is it just weakening them to a life of seeking satisfaction from the world rather than from God? Can a child understand praise of the child through his Heavenly Father? Just as we would tell a child "you have your mother's beautiful eyes" or "you can catch a fly just as well as your father" what will it take for us to instead praise our children saying "your charity reflects St. Claire" or "God lets His love shine forth from you to all you meet."
I know for my own son, I have always complimented him in hopes of giving him a higher sense of esteem then I left childhood with. However, is it necessary to praise or is it more important to shelter our smallest and most vulnerable of souls from the evils of this material world? Can we comfort and nourish while still preserving humility? I think one key to this is keeping our children close. God our Heavenly Father only allows us as adults to be burdened to the extent that we can bear and He blesses us with the Grace to endure if we seek His counsel. Do we do the same for our children or do we ignore the cruelities of other children saying "kids will be kids" or "we can protect them forever?" In this we can preserve child-like faith in us so that it may one day grow to childlike faith in God. Our children trust us and it is imperative that we preserve that trust. See later writings on trust and the cry it out method. As they grow into greater and deeper trust, they can also grow in humility for before one can be humbled in God who created us, we must first trust our Father that he will always love and care for us. After this trust is formed and we rely on it, then our eyes will begin to be opened to Sister Humility. Sister Humility is the child of Trust. As we trust in God, we see that our life is not dependent on us or our own merits but rather those of He who loves us. We are nothing without His love and thenceforth shall we humble ourselves as it is not us by which great deeds, love, or charity can be done, but by He who created us and is working in us and through us. First we must give ourselves fully mind, body, spirit, (and yes even our pocket books) to God the good Lord who provides all, creates all and loves all.