(The voice of a small human heard from across the house)

“No, Maggie! Stop! Gimme! It’s mine!”

My youngest is still in her church outfit and we’re already being covetous again. I give my wife the “I’ll take this one” look and project my voice down the hallway.

“Jesus never said Gimme! It’s Mine!”

I thought this life lesson might fall on sympathetic ears. The Sunday school content was still ringing in their little heads. I am no biblical scholar, but felt safe not consulting Google for historical accuracy.

When it comes to helpful texts concerning our particular situation, however, the Bible does have a few glaring omissions. To start, there is a lack of content concerning little Jesus. Surely Mary and Joseph had it easy, but I’d like some examples of a sinless childhood. Would Jesus throw a temper tantrum and accuse his brother James of taking his stuff? We can make assumptions, but can’t be sure now can we?

From my current role as a father, it’s worth pointing out that we also don’t have “Jesus’ Guide to Parenting’ as a handy reference. That sure would clear some things up. “Honor your father and mother” is another great one to yell down the hallway, but the Old Testament is short on notes pertaining to screen time and the Internet.

Everyone has an opinion on the best methods, but we can all agree that parenting is hard. Each day brings a new adventure in this dynamic world we live in. Through the good moments and the bad, I always try to convey in our home that we’re on the same team, and on that note, will say wise things like “Chapmans always clean up after themselves” or “Chapmans don’t pick our butts in public” to instill the proper expectations and consistency for our brand.

Such quotable edicts occasionally proliferate beyond our immediate family. My niece and nephews love to spread the gospel of “Uncle Chappy always says be cool.” Instead of dogging them for lackluster behavior, it’s a lot more fun to ask them if what they are doing fits the definition of being cool.

While I have been on this earth a good bit longer than these young ones, it is beginning to dawn on me that the management style of casting down life lessons and rigid standards from above is not always resonating. They soak up much more from how their parents act and treat other people. The whole “do as I say and not as I do” line is a lost cause. If you fart at the dinner table, don’t be surprised when your little ladies join in the fun.

While we’re in the trust tree, I have also been noticing tendencies in myself I would rather not pass along to the next generation. There’s this constant impatience with the pace of life and a jaded attitude that frankly sucks. While I plan to diversify our schedule a bit going forward, that unsettled mindset needs a new perspective. I could try to blame my problems on the unabashed consumerism and the attention economy that surrounds us, but maybe my britches have gotten too big for being curious.

And that’s where I return to the children. They have a lot to offer if we simply slow down and pay attention. Kids also say some hilarious stuff if you take a moment to listen. Jesus had plenty of content on why we should all strive to be more like them. A child looks at the world and sees possibility, nuance and a little mystery. Meanwhile, we see bills, bad drivers and weeds that need pulling.

We went through an exercise recently where our Sunday school couples were tasked with coming up with a family motto. Not one to miss a good Game of Thrones reference, I came up with “A Chapman Always Pays Their Debts.” There were a few laughs from the collective, but let’s admit that would be pretty lame on a coffee mug.

Upon returning home, we put the girls on the same task of crafting our motto. Libby didn’t even take a breath before yelling out “Unicorns are Real!” We of course thought that was hilarious at the time, but you know what? That’s right where I want to be. Believe that the world has more to offer than our careers, houses, cars and stock portfolios. The moment you turn on that sense of wonder, then the rest of the crap melts away.