|
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way,
when you lie down, and when you rise up."
(Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
Today and tomorrow, I will share with you the "Top Ten Tips" on parenting that Ashley and I offer to you as a parent. We have implemented these principles, and they have served us well in raising our children. We continue to take our roles as parents very seriously. True, our kids are grown and married, but as long as we are alive, we will have the great honor of being parents to Hannah, Bryant, and Leighton, three people we absolutely love!
So, here we go. We will have to break this up into two devotions, but we do pray that what we share is a help and blessing to you as parents. Here are the first four:
- From day one, speak blessings over your children, and affirm them. Proverbs 18:21 is so true. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Babies are like sponges and soak in everything you say and do. Dr. James Dobson addresses how important it is to parent well those first four years of your child's life. They learn so much, and the course of their lives is mostly set by age four. I came across this well written piece on the importance of affirming your child called, "Boosting Your Child's Self-Esteem":
"Kids start developing their sense of self as babies when they see themselves through their parents' eyes. Your tone of voice, your body language, and your every expression are absorbed by your kids. Your words and actions as a parent affect their developing self-esteem more than anything else.
"Praising accomplishments, however small, will make them feel proud; letting kids do things independently will make them feel capable and strong. By contrast, belittling comments or comparing a child unfavorably with another will make kids feel worthless.
"Avoid making loaded statements or using words as weapons. Comments like "What a stupid thing to do!" or "You act more like a baby than your little brother!" cause damage just as physical blows do.
"Choose your words carefully and be compassionate. Let your kids know that everyone makes mistakes and that you still love them, even when you don't love their behavior."
Source: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/nine-steps.html
- Pray Scripture over them. Also, do as our biblical text for today teaches, and at every opportunity, instill in them the Word of God! Pray for your kids by name every day. I pray Bible verses over each one of my kids and their spouses. I also am praying daily for my grandkids the same prayers I prayed over their parents. I pray for our grandkids, Claire and Riley, that they would come to know Jesus at an early age, marry the person they are supposed to marry, if it is God's will they get married, and have children. I ask God to bless their future spouses and families, and I pray that they would be virgins when they get married and marry virgins.
You may say, "Well, that takes time every day to pray those prayers!" True, but I see it as a gift, and nothing I can do has more power and influence for my kids and grandkids than prayer.
- Remember, they are watching your every move, so give them a great example to follow. It is a little scary to think about. Your kids watch and mimic you, and the course of their lives will be set by what you do and say as their parents. Heavy!
- Go one-on-one in their world. Some of the best parental advice I ever received was, "Do something one-on-one that your children enjoy doing." For Hannah, it was going to the mall and shopping or simply getting some coffee. With Bryant and Leighton, when they were young, I would take them one at a time to the store and get a toy. It does not have to be something huge; it is more the fact you are spending time with them in their world. I did however take all three golfing with me one time. Ask me about that story sometime; that was a crazy day! I have noticed with parents who spend a lot of time with their kids when they are young, those same kids enjoy spending time with their parents when they are old.
God bless you, moms and dads! Tomorrow, we will continue with the next six tips on parenting.
|
