How Does Correcting a Child's Behavior Affect Self-esteem?

What is accountability and how does it rank in importance to the development of character and self-esteem? Parents want their children to have adequate self-esteem so they will be able to achieve to the level of their intellectual and social capabilities.

Critical to being accountable is acquiring emotional and social maturity appropriate to each stage of development. Listen to Proverbs 22:6: “Teach children how to live, to do what is right and good in all situations, and it will be their model for life.” 

Some parents mistakenly believe correcting children’s behavior and mistakes will damage their self-esteem. However failure to correct them will send children into the world ill-prepared for success. The world will not coddle a person who refuses to comply with society’s rules for living. 

It’s imperative to teach your children God’s way for living as they can grasp it’s meaning and purpose. Then be their role model. 

__________             

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous shall live by faith.”

~Romans 1:17 New International Version

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

What Interferes with Getting to Know Your Children?

Very few people would say parenting is an easy task. There are strategies that make parenting less stressful, such as creating a more relaxed atmosphere by not being so rushed physically and emotionally. Spend some fun time with children each day.

Children are extremely intuitive and sense distress and turmoil within the parents.

Someone noted that children are experts in intuition. Although they may not have the language or confidence to verbally state what they sense, they will display it behaviorally and emotionally.

Taking time to relax with your children or grandchildren should be a priority. Reduce the noise and distractions that interfere with getting to know and understand your child. Soft music and voices create a relaxed atmosphere. Consider this: “Bring up children in the way they should go” involves understanding them, which is an awesome task but a wonderful privilege. Remember they are created in God’s image.

_________ 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, [O Lord]. 

~Lamentations 3:22-23 Revised Standard Version

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

From Sunday, December 21 through Christmas Day, blogs will be posted each day to coincide with KHCB radio's special music and short devotional programming, "Five Days of Christmas". 

Is Parenting Supposted to Be Actually Joyful?

Parenting is an ongoing learning experience and varies from being joyful to painful depending on each child’s personality. Today a wealth of information is available on Christian parenting from God’s word, the internet, and child development books.

While it’s important to take classes designed to teach parenting skills and read child development books, most parents learn that what works for one child may fall short with others. Each child’s temperament and personality are unique and vary from being joyful to distressing.

The way you were parented can influence your parenting style. Is it working? Your parent’s disposition and if there was a peaceful or distressing home life are issues. The good news is you can make a new start. Proverbs 22:6 offers encouragement: “Teach your children right from wrong and when they are grown, they will still do what is right.” God gives insight and wisdom as well as patience to make parenting successful.    

________ 

Correct your children and they will be wise; children out of control disgrace their [parents]. If you correct your children, they will bring you peace and happiness. 

~Proverbs 29:15,17 Contemporary English Version

________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

From Sunday, December 21 through Christmas Day, blogs will be posted each day to coincide with KHCB radio's special music and short devotional programming, "Five Days of Christmas". 

Does Parenting Seem Difficult for You?

Parenting children is always accompanied by some hardship, like the financial cost that’s activated at conception and continues until the child becomes independent. The physical and emotional demands required to care for children are challenging and time-consuming.

The majority of parents willingly expend energy and assets to insure their children are safe and secure. It’s also imperative to accept each child as an opportunity to learn new parenting skills, for each child is different in personality and temperament.

Yet, an often-overlooked attribute children possess is the innate desire to please their parents. Ask yourself, “Am I giving my children adequate time and attention along with boundaries and affection that convey to them they’re loved and needed?” God’s word encourages you to “Teach your children right from wrong and when they are grown they will not turn from it.” Love your children as God loves you. Appreciate every effort they make to please you.

                    

_________ 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” –which is the first commandment with a promise– “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. “

~Ephesians 6:1-3 New International Version

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

Confronting Unhealthy Pressure

Proverbs 22 challenges parents to “teach their children to choose the right path because when they are older they will remain upon it.” What did Rebekah teach Jacob as a child and adolescent that allowed him to defraud his brother Esau of their father’s blessing? Fear of discovery was overwhelmed by Rebekah’s convincing words of deception.

What prevented Jacob from standing up to the pressure his mother was putting on him to commit this heinous sin? His mother’s values prevented her from teaching him appropriate boundaries and God’s rules for living. Little did he know this act of deception and fraud would permanently separate him from his mother.

Rebekah apparently felt it’s okay to be deceitful provided you don’t get caught. Jacob must have been driven by greed and lust for power and prestige. He would have to learn time and again that God neither sleeps nor slumbers. God knows our deeds and our heart, yet consistently desires to create in us a clean heart through our repentance if we will but seek it.

Golden Rule: Golden Opportunities - Part 1

During her early childhood years, my granddaughter would make up some really funny stories. Occasionally her mother would ask, "Now is that what actually happened?" My daughter's purpose in questioning her was to teach the value of being truthful.

Most parents want their children to acquire a strong measure of independence. Gradually granting children independence enables them to stand apart from their peers enough to make decisions based on the values they were taught. Children need to know that strong, healthy values anchored in love for Christ Jesus are a mainstay in an ever-changing world.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" must be taught over and over until it sticks. It should be taught with gentleness and love for God in your heart and attitude. It's also critically important to help children recognize and understand their weaknesses and to teach them how to receive forgiveness from you and God. Healthy values stick forever.  

The Conscience As an Alert System - Part 1

Most people believe they have a conscience, an inner value system designed to keep them within safe boundaries. The conscience sounds an alert when values are in imminent danger of being violated. But how do you get a conscience? A ten-year child gave this answer, "I really don't know. It's something you get without asking for it. It just seems to happen."

Can you imagine a society whose inhabitants have not developed  consciences to guide and control their thoughts and behaviors? Psychopaths and sociopaths are defined as being without a conscience. Everyone then would be subject to their criminal acts because they lack love and compassion for others.

Parents play a major role in the development of a child's conscience. The positive, healthy parent/child attachment based on love, guidance, and correct boundaries is significant to the evolution of a child's conscience. God's word encourages parents to "teach children how to live and they will remember it all their lives." This choice will never be regretted.  

Listening to Your Inner Voice - Part 3

Good management systems prevent the world from disintegrating into chaos. Each of us has an internal management system that directs our thoughts and actions. One of the main features of this internal management system is our conscience. Think of the conscience as an office manager who makes sure everything stays on track.

The conscience plays a major role in determining our success or failure, so  we are born with the potential for conscience to develop in conjunction with what we're exposed to in our environment. Adam and Eve experienced a serious violation of conscience by crossing the boundary line of God's instructions. They felt fear, shame, and guilt.

The development of conscience begins early in childhood. God's word instructs parents to bring up children in accordance with what is good and godly and they will keep it as a guide for life. We're created in God's image and designed to act, think, and believe as he does. God transforms your conscience as you choose to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.  

Learning Productivity - Part 3

Do you realize how much determination it takes for an infant to master crawling, learning to walk, and acquiring language? As parents provide an atmosphere of trust that allows a strong sense of self to flourish, their children go to school prepared and eager for mastering the task of industry and productivity.

There are children who enter elementary school unprepared and unready for the task of learning. Parents must overcome their own fears, unpreparedness, and anxiety so they can take appropriate steps to insure their child is provided all available resources to meet their needs. While there are barriers to overcome, persistence helps insure success.

Success in the elementary years can't be stressed enough, for children take with them these initial ideas of what it means to be productive throughout adulthood. Listen to Proverbs 22:6. "Train or teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life." The choices you help your children make about persistence and staying on track will remain a continuous guide and encouragement.