Fourteen Nuggets for Parenting – Wisdom from “Miss Pat”
At the close of Miss Pat’s testimony this past week at our ‘Coffee and Learn,’ she shared some key points on parenting. These nuggets are timely and worth sharing with our entire community. I trust you’ll take these to heart.
Do not fall into the delusion that Sunday School and a Christian school experience lets you off the hook when it comes to training your children spiritually. God assigned parents to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and we must be the first line of defense.
Children don’t need to see “super parents.” They need to see parents who need and rely on a Super God!
The greatest legacy we can pass on to our children and grandchildren is not money or material things, but rather a legacy of character and faith in Jesus Christ.
The goal of parenting isn’t to create perfect children. It’s to point them to the perfect God!
First and foremost, you and your spouse must present a united front.
Children are counting on us to provide two things – consistency and structure. Children need parents who say what they mean, mean what they say, and do what they say that they are going to do.
If you have told your child something a thousand times, and they still do not obey, then it is not your child who is a slow leaner.
We teach our children how to behave by what we allow, what we stop, what we ignore, and what we reinforce. Remember, what you allow will continue.
Two distinct messages must be conveyed to your child 1) “I love you more than you can possibly understand.” 2) “And because I love you, I must teach you to obey me.” Anything less than instant obedience is not obedience at all. We teach our children to submit to our loving leadership as preparation for their later life of obedience to God. If they do not learn to obey their earthly father, how will they learn to obey their Heavenly Father?
We have redefined the word love in our culture today to mean: to affirm or tolerate others in whatever they do, and we are quick to make excuses for them…they are only two; they are tired; they are hungry. No, they are sinners just like their parents, and they need correction.
Do not enable your child! Enabling is helping, assisting, supporting, or bailing someone out, in order to avoid the natural and perhaps unpleasant consequences of their actions. We call it love, but we do it out of guilt, fear, control.
As hard as it may be, we have to let our children fail. It’s the only way they truly learn how to succeed.
To continually rescue your child stunts their emotional development and eventually renders them weak, needy, and helpless.
Finally, it’s not the parent’s responsibility to have godly children. It’s a parent’s responsibility to make sure their children have godly parents!
Miss Pat can be reached at preynolds@redeemerdayschool.org.
