“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”                                                                Prov 22:6

Most of a child’s future is decided by their experiences in the formative years, usually reckoned to be up to seven years old.   During those years, they learn most of their values, they learn how the world works and they learn their own self-image from the way that they are treated.   This is why a child brought up in an abusive home, generally grows up to be an abusive person – this is how the world is supposed to be, and how it was for me.

It is important to spend as much time as possible with your children in these early years, and if necessary sacrifice time from other priorities to spend time with your children and tell them how special they are, how unique they are, and how much you love them.   Share as many different activities with them as you can, making them as much fun as possible, helping them to become versatile in their tastes so that in later life they will have a wide range of interests.

The main needs that children have are to feel secure, to be loved and to be accepted unconditionally. Make sure that you show them how much you love them, listen to what they have to say without being critical, let them know that you will always be there for them, and then when they have something important that you should know, they will tell you. Look out for ways to give them praise, as a child that is constantly praised, tries harder, and has high self-esteem.

Set them a good example. Remember that children learn more by seeing how you conduct your life than by what you say.

PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN

Praying for your children helps to bring God’s blessings upon them, and the act of praying crystallizes your thoughts onto them, helping you to concentrate on ways that you can nurture and help them. When you pray, ask God to help your children to grow and exercise their unique talents and abilities. Pray for them to reach their full potential as human beings, and ask God to always have His angels around them to protect them from harm.

Pray with your children, teaching them about spiritual matters and how to pray.  Let them know that they are never alone, and that God is only a thought away.

PRAYER FOR YOUR CHILDREN

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the wonderful gift of our children.

We thank you for choosing us to parent these children and we ask you

for the skills and wisdom to nurture them, for the finances to feed and clothe them,

for the love and understanding to grow their minds and characters so that they become loving, self-sufficient and caring adults.

Instruct your angels to guard their steps throughout each day and watch over them as they sleep at night.

Give us patience to listen to their hopes and fears and the insight to guide them with right actions and answers to ensure their future is successful.

Bless them with bright and inquiring minds and a good work ethic.

Bless them with good relationships at home, at school and with their friends.

Bless their bodies with strength and excellent health.

Make our children to be a blessing to others.

Thank you, Father for the amazing blessing that our children are in our lives.

Amen

NURTURING YOUR CHILDREN

As parents we have a tremendous responsibility.   As I said before, the child’s formative years are up to age seven, and in those years the child’s initial values are formed, they learn so much, and are like a sponge, soaking up all the information around them.   Therefore it is important to monitor the type of information and surroundings they are exposed to, so that their personality is formed in a balanced and appropriate manner.

Encourage your children to be curious about the world around them, help them to dream big dreams and imagine the possibilities this wonderful world provides. Give them the opportunities to explore and grow through challenges, and stimulate their imagination so they develop their own creativity.

Help your child to develop their sense of optimism, teach them that whatever the circumstances at the moment, they will always change for the better. When they make a mistake, show them that it is not the end of the world and that they can do better next time. Let them know that they are still learning, and that even adults make mistakes, tell them that no one is perfect and never can be. Don’t force unrealistic expectations onto them.

Feed them a healthy diet and ensure that they get to play outdoors often, to be nurtured by the fresh air and the natural vitamin D from the sun’s warmth.

Monitor the type of television they watch and the type of web browsing they are doing, as so much today is complete rubbish and inappropriate. Encourage them to improve their concentration and focusing skills, improve their reliability by ensuring that they finish projects rather than giving up half way through. If you think they may have attention deficit disorder, there is professional help available, as with poor concentration their learning ability will suffer.

Ensure that they understand personal responsibility and accountability, so that they grow up as caring, sharing, dependable adults. You can help develop this by giving them small chores to do around the home, which are solely their responsibility, but make sure that the jobs that you are expecting them to perform are appropriate for their age and competence. If you push them too hard and give them chores beyond their years, you are setting them up to fail.

Today we see that parents have a tendency to over commit their children with too many activities, which are the parent’s dreams not the child’s. Try not to fill their every moment with dancing, piano, clubs, gym classes etc., but give them time to relax at home, dream and time to just play. Their adult life will have enough stress so let your children have the time to be what they are, children, while they can.

PRAYER FOR YOUR FAMILY

Father, I thank you for my family and my friends. I ask you to bless each and every-one of them. You are the God of love. Please enable me to treat each person that I meet with your love, to be understanding, kind, helpful and respectful. Nurture me so that I can nurture others. Let me grow in wisdom in all my relationships. May my relationships with my family and friends continue to grow and deepen. Thank you, Father, for your love.                       

AMEN