Character Training – Page 64 – Parenting Like Hannah

Fun Special Outings for Christian Moms and Their Daughters

In Why Christian Moms Need Special Outings With Tween Daughters, I shared some of the reasons I believe it’s so important for moms to take the time to go on special outings with their tween daughters. Honestly, I would encourage you to continue the practice well into adulthood. Your daughters will need your love, attention and mentoring all of their lives.

Maybe you love the idea, but have no idea what would be a good outing after you have been to the movies, had a manicure or gone shopping. Below, I’ve shared some of the things I did with my daughter as well as some things my friends have done with their daughters. Unlike other areas of Christian parenting, I don’t think these outings have to revolve around a spiritual or religious activity. Some of our best conversations have happened in tea rooms or on walks on the beach.

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Why Christian Moms Need Special Outings With Tween Daughters

Have you ever felt like a caterpillar? Did you ever go through a stage when you believed you would never turn into a moth, much less a beautiful butterfly? For some women, those feelings can last for decades, while others may only feel like that for a few weeks of their lives. I would imagine if you ask most women when those feelings peaked though, they would tell you the tween/middle school years.

When our daughter was in late elementary school, we found the Secret Keepers by Dannah Gresh. (This link is what I believe is the current edition. Ours had cassette tapes!) The program was about modesty, beauty and all of that fun girl stuff from a Christian perspective. The series itself was fine, but what made it so special was the “date” we went on for each lesson. I only remember one now, because our daughter got to bring a friend and it involved trying on a lot of clothes – not normally a favorite thing of mine to do. We had a blast though.

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7 Tips for Helping Kids Reach Their Godly Potential

One of the hardest things about this ministry is seeing all of the wasted potential in the church and in the lives of children and teens. God gives each of us potential to make an impact on the world by serving the church and others and sharing our faith. Yet much of it lies untapped for a variety of reasons. Most are living lives that are a mere shadow of what God had intended for them to be.

Those who reach the potential God gives them have some of the richest, fullest lives I have ever witnessed. They know their purpose. Their lives have meaning and their connection to God is strong. Their faith allows them to cope with the problems of living in a fallen world with grace.

So, what do you need to do to help your kids reach their godly potential? These tips should get you started.

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7 Tips for Raising Responsible Kids

7 Tips for Raising Responsible Kids - Parenting Like Hannah How many times has your child begged for a special gift only to later break or lose it from carelessness? How many times a day do you have to remind your kids to do something you asked them to do or even complete regular chores? How many times have your kids promised to do something and then didn’t keep their promise?

Responsibility is a tough Christian life skill to teach your kids. It’s one of those where you often feel you have taken one step forward and three steps back. Just when your kids seem to have mastered one area of responsibility, you realize they aren’t being very responsible in another area of their lives.

You want your kids to be more responsible, but how do you teach them in such a way that they actually become responsible consistently across every part of their lives? There are probably a lot of things you can do, but these seven tips will give you a great start.

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Teaching Kids How to Resolve Conflict in Godly Ways

Teaching Kids How to Resolve Conflict in Godly Ways - Parenting Like Hannah Not many parenting experts pass my litmus test for a true parenting expert. I frequently watch the morning shows and read women’s magazines to see what secular parenting experts are telling people to do. Often, the secular advice is the same advice a Christian parenting expert would give. Other times, I find myself rolling my eyes at their “expert” advice. (Don’t get me wrong. Not all Christian parenting experts are wise either!)

So what parenting topic helps me separate valuable resources for you from not so valuable? It’s how they suggest you should handle things when your kids start fighting with their friends or each other. If an “expert” counsels you to “let them work it out for themselves”, I know he/she hasn’t done his/her homework in parenting.

Why? Because that is absolutely some of the worst parenting advice you will ever hear. Think about it. Your beautiful, wonderful, normally perfect four year old son and six year old daughter are having a major disagreement. Left to their own devices, they will indeed “work it out”. Unfortunately, their ideas for resolving conflict often involve hitting, pinching, screaming, name calling and other not so wonderful tactics.

This is why we have so many issues in our society with conflicts rising to the level of violence, road rage, verbal melt downs, screaming, cursing and more. No one ever taught any of us how to resolve conflict in godly ways. They let us “figure it out for ourselves” as little kids and we still act like those little kids when there is any kind of conflict.

So what do you need to do the next time your kids start fighting?

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