Church Blog (Page 5)

• • • • • Parenting Tip December 23, 2014 Christmas, A Time to Practice Saying Thank You Gratefulness is an important life quality because it helps us to be thankful for what we have instead of complaining about what we don’t have. Gratefulness is a lifestyle but it starts by saying “Thank you” to others who bless us. Begin now to prepare your children for receiving gifts. Talk about the importance of the giver, not just the gift. Teach…

Parenting Tip December 15, 2014 Being a Servant at Christmas Sometimes children believe that the whole world revolves around them. Parents, because they enjoy caring for their kids, may at times contribute to a child-centered mentality and further reinforce this misconception. Children can get the impression that parents, siblings, and even the family pets are there simply to make them happy. The result is demandingness and an unpleasant attitude. One of the ways to counteract this tendency is to teach…

• • • • • Parenting Tip December 11, 2014 The Heart of Christmas With so much advertising and emphasis on presents, programs, and parties, take some time to teach your children about the real meaning of Christmas. It’s so easy to get distracted by the celebration that one discussion or Christmas program isn’t enough to help children catch the meaning and significance of what Christmas is really all about. Here are some suggestions. Have a daily or weekly reminder…

• • • • • Parenting Tip December 7, 2014 The Heart is Where We Feel Close As parents, we long to connect with our children in meaningful ways. Those connections often provide opportunities to teach because feeling closeness softens the heart. When children are young, those special feelings of closeness happen regularly, even daily. You read a book to your four-year-old, he leans on your arm, and you cherish the time of connection. You correct your six-year-old, and she…

• • • • • Parenting Tip December 1, 2014 Practical Ways to Connect with Your Child’s Heart Here are eleven suggestions to help you find ways to connect with your child’s heart. 1. Talking. Children often like to hear stories from your own childhood. Don’t feel like you have to tie a lesson into the story. Just tell it to them as if you were relating the details to a friend. 2. Listen to your kids. Take an interest…

• • • • • Parenting Tip November 21, 2014 Get a Response Parents give instructions many times a day. The difference between a drill sergeant and a parent has to do with relationship. The way you give an instruction helps a lot. In fact, a little forethought can head off resistance before it starts. In addition, we encourage parents to teach children to respond back with some kind of response such as, “Okay Mom,” or “Okay Dad.” This answer…

Parenting Tip November 17, 2014 Raising Emotional Awareness Some children have a rather narrow repertoire of emotional tools. They tend to react with anger whenever they experience any negative emotion. When they’re sad, they display anger. When they’re afraid, they show anger. When they’re disappointed, they take it out on others by getting mad. These children need to learn healthier ways of expressing their emotions, but first they need help understanding the feelings they’re experiencing. A child’s heart can be…

• • • • • Parenting Tip November 11, 2014 The Value of Listening Jesus said, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Parents can use this principle to gain some understanding and insight into a child’s heart. Listening becomes key. It’s surprising how many times we ask kids why they don’t talk to their parents and hear the answer, “Because they don’t listen to me.” Yes, it’s true some children confuse listening with agreeing.…