Just Sayin'

Have you ever heard this said, "Where in the world did that child learn to act that way?"  It's an inescapable truth. Children learn all kinds of behavior every day in their own homes from their parents. This is a pretty simple truth: when parents are doing their jobs well, children learn to behave well.  Living in a family is how children learn the basics of life and the most important lessons about relationships, about family, about marriage. God’s plan for children is they learn all of life’s important lessons from dad and mom. Probably one of the most quoted Bible verses is Proverbs 22:6. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (RSV).  God's plan is that children would receive the valuable tools they need to become a healthy adult from their own parents. In her home, a daughter learns how a wife acts in a marriage. A son learns how a husband treats a wife by observing how his parents’ marriage works. It goes without saying, but here we go saying it: training is not exclusively a good thing. Daily life can be full of stressful situations. Stress can bring out some pretty awful behavior. The emotional break and whatever that looks like when you experience a disappointment or difficult situation will have an effect on your child. As tough as times can be, we must remember as parents there are younger eyes watching us. There’s a pretty good chance they will imitate at some point what they see us do. Being a good example, teaching valuable skills, modeling healthy behaviors are really high standards. It's a good thing that God equips us through the Holy Spirit to do more than we think we can do.  When we work with the Spirit of God to manage our emotions and behavior, the amazing results will show up in our children. Someone may even say "That boy acts just like his daddy," or "She is the exact copy of her mom." And that will be a good thing.    

For more articles on topics parents may find helpful, interesting and encouraging, check out www.hearttohomeministry.org