Training Your Children How To Set Goals | Part 2
Jan 03
The Discipline of Goal Setting Must Be Trained
Children are not born patient, as many parents of toddlers can attest. They want things immediately and for some if they do not receive what they want, a temper tantrum will follow. If we as parents know that we have to train our children to be patient why is it hard to train our children to have goals?
Goal setting, just like training in most areas, is time consuming and takes effort. Some times it is so much easier to do things for our children rather then help them set up the goal for themselves. While it may be easier to allow them to “learn the hard way” if they procrastinate on a school project, or jump in at the last minute and rescue your child, neither is the best choice. The best thing to do is to get involved from the beginning and help your child manage the goal of a good grade on the school report.
There is another area where we as parents may have to exhibit more self-control and allow our children to learn the lesson of patience and goal setting and that is through helping them with finances. It is prudent to not purchase for your child everything their heart desires but allow them the lesson of saving for themselves. We will discuss this area of goal setting in more detail tomorrow.
Listen to today’s podcast for more insight on training your children to set goals.
Teaching The Gift Of Giving | Part 4
Dec 01
Using Christmas Traditions to Teach
We can use traditions at Christmas to point back to the birth of Jesus, which is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Choose to look for ways through the holiday season to point back to God’s gift to us. As you are decorating, you can even use these moments as teaching tools. For example as you are trying to get all the knots out of the Christmas lights, ask your children what they think the lights represent. They can represent that Jesus is the light of the world. They can also show that when they are plugged in they can shine brightly. Just like we can’t do anything with out God as our power source but when we are “plugged into Him” we can shine His light.
As you are hanging ornaments you can talk about how the Christmas tree can represent Jesus. It was alive but was cut off for us. Make a game out of seeing who can do the best at finding how each ornament points to Jesus.
We can do this all through the Christmas season in different areas. This is a great way to start teaching our children to look for how God reveals Himself in everyday life. Again, as your children are leaving home what do you want their Christmas memories to be? This year choose to keep Jesus the center of Christmas.
For more fun Christ-centered Christmas traditions check out,
http://glittermagic.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/how-to-have-a-christ-centered-christmas/
Listen to today’s podcast for more insight on this topic.
Teaching The Gift of Giving | Part 3
Nov 30
What Is Your Christmas Ministry?
A thought to ponder, what if Jesus spent Christmas with you, what would you do differently? What would the focus of the day be, would it be about the presents or about serving others? It is ironic that the very person this day is celebrating, so often, we forget to honor.
The week of Thanksgiving we discussed choosing a service project for your family to spend time on through the Christmas season. Now is the time to put that plan into action. Giving to others is truly how we give a birthday present to Jesus. In fact, in Matthew 25:34-30, Jesus says, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
What will your family birthday present to Jesus be this year?
Listen to today’s podcast for more insight on teaching the gift of giving.
Teaching the Gift of Giving | Part 2
Nov 29
Using Christmas to Teach Contentment
One of the ways to teach contentment with what you have is by focusing outward. When you are focusing on something other then yourself or the gifts that you are getting, then it is easier to be content. An easy way to do this with children is by creating excitement for giving gifts to others. A few months ago, we talked about having your child save their allowance for Christmas presents. Depending on the amount your child has saved you can match their savings or a portion of their savings. Set aside some time to take each child out individually to shop or split it up where dad takes the kids to shop for mom and visa versa. Make that a special time where maybe you get up early, go out for breakfast and then head out to beat the shopping rush. Remember that excitement is contagious so be careful not to communicate that this is just one more thing on the to do list.
Christmas morning don’t just make a mad rush tearing open all the gifts but take the time to enjoy each person opening a gift. Allow your children to feel the excitement of handing the gift they bought to their sibling and watching their face as they open it. The memories of learning to give are much more important to look back on as adults. When we are beginning to turn the focus of Christmas from what is gotten to what is given, then we are training our children to be content.
Listen to today’s podcast for more insight on teaching the gift of giving
Teaching the Gift of Giving | Part 1
Nov 28
Fighting Materialism at Christmas
Christmas season can be very stressful and overwhelming to parents. There are so many parties and activities. Probably the most stressful is the feeling that we must give our children a perfectly magical Christmas experience. And of course have found the perfect gifts. We are still at the beginning of the month so it is a great time to sit down, take a breath, and set some priorities.
We need to look at big picture. When our children are grown what do we want them to remember about Christmas? Was it a time spent focusing on the true meaning and through the Joy of that, serving others? Or was it a time for materialistic overindulgence? This is not to say that we don’t give our children gifts but more what is our focus for the season. Take the time early this season to think through what traditions will help our children focus on what the true meaning of Christmas is and the joy of giving to others because of it.
Listen to today’s podcast for more insight on teaching the gift of giving.
