ParentTip #1 THE BUCK STOPS WITH YOU
Truth
Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 NLT
“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9 NIV
One of the most important tips for parenting is knowing it is a parent’s responsibility to instruct and raise their child(ren). No one else!
It is not the responsibility of a daycare, school, relatives, friends, babysitters, or anyone or anything else for a child’s life, their moral compass, their spiritual, emotional and cognitive development.. There are many influences impacting children, but it is a parent’s job to orchestrate who and what will influence their child. It is a parent’s responsibility to mold, shape, protect, provide for and care for their child’s well-being.
There is no such thing as being an overprotective parent.
You can never be an overprotective parent if your decisions are formed by love, wisdom, prayer, Biblical principles, and are for the best interest of your child. We are not to live in fear or parent in fear, but we are to parent with wisdom and discernment. A parent’s first duty is to protect their child and to create a safe and nurturing environment. Convenience cannot supersede what is best for your child. Who you leave your child with and where you leave your child must be covered by thought, prayer, wisdom and references.
A Story
We had a rule in our home, one of many. There is no sleeping over someone else’s house if we do not know the parent or parents well. It doesn’t matter if the parents attend the same church with us, live in the same neighborhood, or if their children are over our home all the time. Another rule was, it is ok for any of our children’s friends to stay overnight at our home.
Well, we were sometimes labeled as being overprotective and unfair. We heard this from our children and their friends, as well as their friends’ parents. We would be asked why can my child stay at your home, but yours cannot stay at our home? Seems hypocritical right? Not at all. Every parent must do what they feel is right for their own children. We were responsible for the raising of our children, not the children of others.
Unless we were confident that our children would not be exposed to anything that would be harmful to their physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well being, the answer to their requests for overnight stays would be no. Why? Because dad and mom love you so much that we have rules to protect you.
As a parent you have to be willing to be unpopular. God has a way of supporting you as a parent when you are doing what is right in His eyes and for your kids.
Interesting
Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on June 17, 2014
When researchers offered kids broccoli or a chocolate bar, which do you think they picked? Four out of five picked the chocolate (though how proud are the parents of the one in five kids that chose the broccoli?!). But what if we put an Elmo sticker on the broccoli? When an Elmo sticker was placed on the broccoli, it was half and half. Fifty percent chose broccoli.
BOTTOM LINE
It’s a parent’s responsibility, no one else, to raise their children.
There is no such thing as being an overprotective parent.
Today’s Prayer: LORD, I pray you bless and prosper me as a parent. Thank you for giving me the desire to learn and to practice the keys to raising healthy, happy and prosperous children. Amen!
“‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6: 24-26 NIV
