Fun Ways to Teach Kids Obedience

Fun Ways to Teach Kids Obedience - Parenting Like HannahLet’s face it. Obedience isn’t always fun. For kids, it often means you don’t get to do what you wanted to do because your parents has insisted you obey a command to stop. If we are really honest, teaching your kids to obey isn’t always a ton of fun either. Especially when they are young, it can seem like a constant round of saying “No” and giving out consequences to a chorus of tears and protests.

Surprisingly, there are some fun things you can do with your kids that will also reinforce obedience. If you pair the following games and activities with a Bible story, it will add more depth to the experience. Older kids especially need to start making the connection between your rules and God’s.

There are many things you can do with kids to underscore the importance of obedience, but here are a few of my favorites:

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Teaching Christian Kids Logical Fallacies (Made Easy!)

Teaching Christian Kids Logical Fallacies (Made Easy!) - Parenting Like HannahIn Why Christian Kids and Teens Must Learn About Logical Fallacies, I shared how learning about logical fallacies can help protect your kids from false teachers and teachings in the Church. You may have tried to find more information about logical fallacies only to read pages full of Latin terms and pretentious explanations. It probably feels like you are missing a piece to your child’s faith puzzle.

I’m no expert on the subject, but below I have given the most common logical fallacies easier names to remember and hopefully definitions a bit easier to understand. I have also given examples of the types of ways they may be used in the context of Christianity. (Any resemblance to any actual teaching is purely accidental.)

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Why Christian Kids and Teens Must Learn About Logical Fallacies

Why Christian Kids and Teens Must Learn About Logical Fallacies - Parenting Like HannahA stint working for Hearst Magazines taught me a lot about the tricks of advertising. I became fascinated by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Anyone wanting to run an ad in Good Housekeeping magazine had to submit the ad copy and the product they were advertising for testing, before being allowed to advertise.

The people at the Institute were meticulous. If a product claimed to have zero of an ingredient and the test showed even one millionth of a particle of it, the ad was rejected until the copy was changed. Mind you, even back then advertisers were paying over $100,000 for a one page ad in one issue. Yet, they willingly accepted the rigor in order to have the cache that came with advertising there (that didn’t even earn you the “Seal”!).

During those years working with advertisers and their agencies, I realized there is a lot of subtle and not so subtle deception in ads. As the years have passed, I have also come to realize people are most often tricked by logical fallacies – a statement that on the surface sounds absolutely logical, but in the end is utter nonsense.

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5 Important Facial Expressions for Parents

5 Important Facial Expressions for Parents - Parenting Like HannahIf you were told the only food you could eat for the next week is your least favorite food, what expression would be on your face? You almost don’t need to think through the process of how to show the disgust you are feeling. After years of practice, it comes naturally when faced with an unpleasant situation.

Unfortunately, children often see expressions on the faces of their parents that can cause them unnecessary pain. Over the course of their childhood, these parental facial expressions can also mold your child’s character and self-image in positive or negative ways.

It is crucial for you to realize what expressions your face makes in certain situations and intentionally work to send the appropriate messages to your kids with your facial expressions as well as your words.

Here are five important facial expressions to use intentionally  when interacting with your kids:

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4 Godly Things Your Child Can Learn From Having Good Sleep Habits

4 Godly Things Your Child Can Learn From Having Good Sleep Habits - Parenting Like HannahIf you have read many parenting blogs or books, one of the top areas of concern is how to get children to sleep well. There are a lot of reasons your kids may or may not be sleeping. Some are easily fixed, while others may require the help of your child’s pediatrician.

In general though, one important fact about your children’s sleep habits is true. You can’t force a child to fall asleep, but you can give boundaries for appropriate behavior during rest times and enforce them. I’m sure many of you are rolling your eyes at that last statement, but it’s true for all but the very youngest of children. You should be able to make and enforce reasonable rules for your children’s rest times, just like you do for other areas of their life.

Doing so may take some extra effort on your part at first – especially when they are transitioning to a new bed or bedroom. It’s really important to do so though. Your kids learn four important godly things when you make and enforce good rules for rest times.

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