I am going to share my parenting story with all who come here for a good read, or so I hope that this is!
I became a mother when I was almost 19 years old. It was about 1 month before I turned 19 when I gave birth to my son, Ashur. As afraid as I was, I was super exited to start this journey! I read all the books, sought out help when I needed it and did my very best, so I thought. When my son was 3, he started attending Sunday school... while my husband and I hung out and waited until he was done with class, barely attending church ourselves. BUT, we believed that we were doing what was right for our son. It really should have been us that were teaching him about our savior, we realize that now.
When we had our second child, I was 25 years old. A sweet little girl, Ayla. I think that I was even more terrified to have a daughter... she was a handful from day one. Five years later, she is still our most challenging child! Then, when I was 27 1/2, I gave birth to our youngest child, a beautiful little boy, Acen. This pregnancy was the one that gave us a real scare, to learn more on this topic, read my Salvation story.
So... now you see, we have 3 children. Ashur is now almost 11, Ayla is 5, and Acen is 2 1/2.
BACK to the topic at hand... How to be a Christian parent. Or... better yet, how to be a successful Christian parent! Part of my resolution for the new year (remember the one word resolution?), REMEMBER... this word means a lot more to me than what I stated in the last post. I want to remember that my kids are a gift from God, that HE gave them to me to take care of, love and raise. How would he want me to raise them? We go to church, we pray together, we talk about right and wrong, love, loss, friendships, responsibilities and things that we enjoy... one of the most important things that I can think He would want me to do for my kids is to PRAY for THEM. BAAAACCCCKKKK to my resolution.. REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THEM!! All too often, I forget to pray for the things that I take for granted. My family, friends, and my job. These things I am VERY thankful for! So I feel that a VERY important part of raising children is to pray for them. Pray that they make the right decisions in life, that they form healthy relationships, that they love Jesus and don't forget who they are in this life. God's children.
Proverbs - Chapter 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
When I truly realized how much God loves me, sins and all, I was amazed. This is something that I try to remind my children. When you know this, it really changes the way you look at your life. It makes your life all that much more worth it, even through the struggles! Someone once told me that God knows your heart. He doesn't so much care for how you appear on the outside, but more for how you are on the inside (something along these lines). Therefore what happens in your home, away from all eyes (besides God's), is more important than what everyone is witness to. I try to think back to this when I am frustrated with one of my children.
HOW DO I KEEP MY "COOL"?! There are times when I feel like my head will burst. When I am so overwhelmed by one of my children (usually my little girl...), I don't know what to do besides yell at the top of my lungs. Does it help? Nope. Not at all. This just taught my kids that when something bothers you, YELL! And then... Mom isn't so happy again. A vicious circle!
I am on the hunt for new ideas, how to discipline the right way. I am a Google master whenever I have a question about... anything. I Googled "How to parent according to the Bible". I came across a very helpful page, here is the link: http://www.gotquestions.org/good-parent.html .
I hope that you find this article helpful as well. As always, if you have any questions, comments or helpful hints to share with me, I more than welcome them! Thanks for reading, and God bless you! ~Karie Anne
When I truly realized how much God loves me, sins and all, I was amazed. This is something that I try to remind my children. When you know this, it really changes the way you look at your life. It makes your life all that much more worth it, even through the struggles! Someone once told me that God knows your heart. He doesn't so much care for how you appear on the outside, but more for how you are on the inside (something along these lines). Therefore what happens in your home, away from all eyes (besides God's), is more important than what everyone is witness to. I try to think back to this when I am frustrated with one of my children.
HOW DO I KEEP MY "COOL"?! There are times when I feel like my head will burst. When I am so overwhelmed by one of my children (usually my little girl...), I don't know what to do besides yell at the top of my lungs. Does it help? Nope. Not at all. This just taught my kids that when something bothers you, YELL! And then... Mom isn't so happy again. A vicious circle!
I am on the hunt for new ideas, how to discipline the right way. I am a Google master whenever I have a question about... anything. I Googled "How to parent according to the Bible". I came across a very helpful page, here is the link: http://www.gotquestions.org/good-parent.html .
I hope that you find this article helpful as well. As always, if you have any questions, comments or helpful hints to share with me, I more than welcome them! Thanks for reading, and God bless you! ~Karie Anne
As long as you raise your children to love God and love each other you are raising them in a Christian manner. That was Jesus message to us. Show them how to choose loving ways to deal with lifes frustrations and difficulties. Teach them compassion and forgiveness. Show them ways to give of themselves to others. Teach them not to judge others but to love them in spite of their differences. Consider the question "What would Jesus do?" when you want to talk to them about how to handle a situation. Don't be afraid to make mistakes - we all make them in our lives. They are opportunities to teach our children how to be humble and say sorry. They are opportunities to teach your children it is important to resolve situations when the hurt someone else. If we raised our children in a bubble where they were never hurt or afraid or stumbled they wouldn't know how to make it in the world when they became adults. Take these opportunities to teach your children a better approach to handling the situation.
ReplyDeleteChildren can be frustrating. If you only yell at them when they do something wrong, you have lost the opportunity to show them how they could have better handled the situation. Look at all the moments that make you want to pull your hair out as a teaching moment to explore "How could we have handled this so that ..."
The only legacy you leave in this life is your effect on others lives. When you pass people don't discuss your job, your home, your car - they talk about memories of how you touched their lives.
Childhood passes too quickly. Enjoy every moment. Even the ones that frustrate you will be remembered with a smile when your kids become adults.