Starting the School Day With God

Starting the School Day With God - Parenting Like HannahWhether your children attend public school, private school or you homeschool, there is nothing more exciting than those first days of classes. New school supplies, books full of interesting new things to learn and time with friends for kids and moms all add to the promise of great things this year.

Unfortunately, not everything about school is great. All sorts of things can happen in the course of a school year that can pull your children and even your family farther and farther away from God. The school day can be full of temptations for everyone. Your children’s teachers or textbooks can give them false or slanted information that will begin separating your child from God. Peers can influence your children to experiment with things better left untouched. It’s enough to send even the most excited parent back home in tears of anxiety.

There are a couple of quick things you can do each morning before school to help keep everyone connected to God during the day. They only take a couple of minutes, but can help remind your children of the really important goals in life.

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Talking to Kids About God

Talking to Kids About God- Parenting Like HannahWhen my daughter was an infant, I used to put her in the stroller and take long walks around our neighborhood. Looking back, I am sure people driving by probably thought I was a little strange, as I talked to her constantly the entire time. Whether I was pointing out things for her to notice or telling her stories about what we would do later, she heard constant chatter.

Studies have shown talking to infants makes a huge difference in their intellectual growth. By the age of two years, babies who had been spoken to a lot by their parents were up to six months developmentally ahead of children who heard little conversation from their parents. (Guardian Feb. 14, 2014, Ian Sample) In fact, according to Mr. Sample, Professor Erika Hoff stated, “Children cannot learn what they don’t hear.”

What a powerful thought! Our children cannot learn what they don’t hear. Even more importantly, the article quoted experts as saying television and iPhones were no substitute for adults talking to their children about things they might find interesting. Healthy language and intellectual development were dependent on direct, focused, parental involvement.

What if we applied educational science to spiritual education? How would this information apply to teaching our children about God? What things would we need to do to make sure our children were learning about God in the best possible ways? What if we were as concerned about our child’s spiritual development as we are about their language development?

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Family Barnabas Challenge

Family Barnabas Challenge - Parenting Like HannahBarnabas is one of my favorite people in the Bible. We don’t know a whole lot about him, but the descriptions in Acts (4:36, 9:27,11:22-24, etc.) always caught my imagination. What would a person be like who was known as the son of encouragement? How would someone behave who was known for encouraging others and being a good man, full of the Holy Spirit?

We don’t know for sure, but I would think Barnabas was known more for building people up than tearing them down. I doubt he gossiped or talked badly about people behind their backs. Barnabas may not have baked cookies or had access to Hallmark cards, but I am sure he used his words and whatever was available in his time to make others feel loved and hopeful. I can imagine Barnabas helping people discover their gifts and how to use them in service to God. I can see him consoling someone who had sinned and giving them hope that they could indeed repent.

What if every Christian family became a Barnabas family? Could your family become a family who seeks out the best in everyone and shares their observations with them? Sincere compliments meant to encourage could change someone’s life. Could your family send cards or take food to people who may be lonely or discouraged? What if your kids were the first to talk to the kids in school who are normally ignored or bullied? What if you assumed that cranky neighbor had the best of motives and showered her with kindness?

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Christian Media and Kids

Christian Media and Kids - Parenting Like HannahYou want a godly book or dvd for your children, so you head to the local Christian book store and purchase something that sounds good. After all, how bad can it be since the Christian bookstore is selling it? When I was young, the Christian book and movie industry was in its infancy. Ironically, many Christians were very cautious about purchasing anything labeled Christian.

Partially, they were concerned about financing possibly shady preachers who were in religion more for material gain than preaching God’s Word. They were also concerned the books and movies would eventually take the place of the Bible for many people. Although I was young, I also remember discussions about the idea of young Christians being possibly taught false doctrine with no one to help them filter the truth from the false teachings.

A few years later, popular culture was in the midst of a serious downward spiral. Things that never would have been said or done on television were now airing in time slots when lots of young children watched. Books and movies were filled with foul language and glorified acts that only a decade ago no one would have discussed, much less spent hard earned money to read or watch.

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Awkward Teachable Moments and God

Teachable Moments and God - Parenting Like HannahTeachable moments are some of the best tools in the savvy Christian parent’s tool box. You can create an experience or take advantage of one that happens naturally to teach your children important lessons. A lot of the ideas in Parenting Like Hannah are actually ways for you to intentionally create teachable moments to help your child develop specific godly characteristics.

Sometimes, the teachable moments which occur naturally are not so much fun. You may find yourself in an awkward situation. Your child may be devastated emotionally over something that happened at school. Your children might stumble upon a situation exposing them to seriously ungodly behaviors you had hoped not to address with them until they were much older.

You know these moments need to be addressed, but being blindsided by them can keep you from even thinking clearly. Suddenly becoming intentional and providing a meaningful spiritual or life lesson out of the situation seems impossible.That is why I was excited to be given an opportunity to review (and give away a free copy!) of the book Teachable Moments: Using Everyday Encounters with Media and Culture to Instill Conscience, Character, and Faith.

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