We had server issues last week, which is just so 2020. We are back online now. Don’t forget you can search on our site for past posts on parenting topics that interest you. You can also ask your Christian parenting questions on our private Facebook Community. Here are this week’s social media challenges.
Monday: I don’t know what these berries are. If I ate them, I might be fine, have a stomach ache or die…I won’t know unless someone teaches me about them. Your kids are the same way with the choices they have in life. They need you to teach them the difference between good choices, not so great choices and sins. If you don’t teach them what God says are sins, who will? While you are at it, teach them how to make a good choice when they are faced with a novel one and don’t have you there to guide them. Taking the extra time and effort to teach your kids about choices can save you both a lot of pain in the future.
Tuesday: Is your home a one room schoolhouse this year? You can easily add a Bible study to your family routine now that there is no commuting. Just a few minutes a day can increase your kids’ Bible knowledge, comprehension and the ability to remember what God wants them to do when they have choices to make. It’s the best thing you can add to your kids’ schedule regardless of where they attend school!
Wednesday: Which flower is the most beautiful? Not really a fair question is it? Each is uniquely beautiful. Your kids are the same way. They may be very different from each other and from you, but each is uniquely beautiful in his or her own way. The gifts God gave them may not be the gifts you would have chosen, but God knows best what gifts He needs them to have. Help them discover and develop those gifts – talents – even if it scares you. Your job as Christian parents is to give them strong faith foundations and to develop the potential God gave them. Forcing them into a mold God did not intend for them only ends up making everyone miserable.
Thursday: Have you ever watched a mama bird try to coax her babies out of the nest for the first time? The baby birds are not happy at all! I don’t speak bird, but I’m pretty sure some of them are angry their mother is trying to make them leave the nest. Yet the mama bird persists until they take their first flight out of the nest. Your kids may get angry when you ask them to do things independently. They may feign helplessness. It’s in everyone’s best interest though for them to do things independently in age appropriate ways. Otherwise, your kids will have a tough time reaching their full godly potential and doing all of the good works God has planned for them to do. Taking steps towards independence builds perseverance, responsibility, healthy self esteem and a host of other godly attributes. Don’t be afraid to be that mama bird!
Friday: Mr. Rogers once said, “All life events are formative. All contribute to what we become…”. It’s easy to assume that the little things don’t matter. Whether it’s family devotionals, serving others, the books read, the games played, the discussions had…or anything else that happens to your kids, all have an influence on who they become. Christian parents who raise kids who grow up to be active, productive Christians pay attention to the details, because the details can make all the difference in the world.