Point Your Children to GOD the Creator

By Becky Wyand

1. Practicing Proverbs

      How rewarding is it to work together with your children on getting to know God better.  Practicing Proverbs is one way to work together. Consider Proverbs 15 Verse 1 “A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”  Learning to test our response and practicing a soft answer can be a challenge at any age.  However it is a worthy goal because this Proverb clearly shows us the reward of the practice.  While practicing soft answers will not guarantee that the heart is righteous, soft answers keep the environment from being stirred the wrong way.  Continue to choose other Proverbs to practice!

2. Creation 

      Summer is a good time to notice again and again God’s plan and his creation. It is good to continuously point your children to God, the creator.  As you watch a flower bud and bloom and fade discuss God’s plan.  Give your children security in an insecure world by pointing them to God the Creator, Sustains and Revealer.

3. Three Times

     I was recently in a conference when a young mother asked me what would be suitable chores for her son.  She didn’t want her son to be robbed of a childhood and wanted him to have free time.  She had been robbed of her childhood when she as the eldest, had to care for her siblings when her mother died.  As we look at this situation we are moved with compassion.  We are also proud and grateful to be called Christian.  Look at these considerations:

• God was and is aware of what he is aware of what he is permitting.  It was apparent that God used this trying situation as a training ground for beautiful womanhood.  (Indeed there was every indication that this overworked girl had become a beautiful woman.  She professed  to be a Christian, honoring her husband and home schooling her children)
• As a Christian we do not need to fall into the trap that our children need free time.  They do indeed need to dream, imagine, pretend and laugh.  Children need to play and sing but all of this can be done in a framework of “time is a gift.  I must use it wisely.”
• As Christians we want to worn and be warned that cry for “free time” or “time for myself” is often an accepted way to couch our rebellion. That exasperated felling that parents and children experience often comes from poor scheduling-failure to get enough rest, failure to have a quit time with God or other misspent minutes.
• So, how many chores should a young home schooled son have? Take a look at the total day.  Is there a plan for Christian service? Are you and the child growing in the pleasure of hard work? Is there a growing attitude toward using time wisely?  Is there an over awareness of fairness?  Does the child have the skill to do the chore assigned? Is the child being trained in the skills he is expected to achieve? 

Note:  We always go to the heart of the matter when solving a problem-am I growing in my awareness of bringing God pleasure and am I responding to that awareness.

4. Learning Abilities

• Recently a friend of a friend called to ask me how to help her children who aren’t learning.  She quickly added that they where adopted and that her biological children learned well this phone call opened an opportunity for me vent to you!  Most of already know what I’m going to say, I have said it so often. Nevertheless I beg you to consider:
• Do I need to be ashamed of my non-or slow children?  Or might I ask God to reveal his plan to me and walk in it humbly and maturely?
• Do I label my child bad if he struggles in learning?  If the child id not labeled “bad”, do I consider it unfortunate if he struggles to learn?  Or might I see those struggles as a part of what god is going and allowing to make my child his instrument?  What do we consider when faced with a struggling learner?
• Pray for wisdom and power to surrender the will of a God.
• Notice readiness for training and train in areas of readiness, rather then what others are doing.
• Think, “skills.” And help your child take care of everyday activities.
• Encourage and praise the child for his joy and cooperation.
• Be assured that if you continue to show the child a true picture of the savior and if he responds to that training you will have success ultimately.

5. Discipline

     Does it matter that my child occasionally misbehaves?  Yes, it does matter.  Our behavior always is a window to the heart.  Then a child misbehaves he wants you to assure him that you, too, have seen his heart.  (Of course, he wants assurance that you’ve seen his heart at good times, too.  So let him know.)

Keep training in the process, remember you have a responsibility and the child has a responsibility.  God has promise to be with us. He is trustworthy.

6. Dictation

Do we do school work all summer?  If we take the attitude that “school” is all of the activities that we engage in, then we will have “school” all summer.  Consider doing 5-15 minutes of dictation, twice a week.  Remember to check your work immediately and show corrections. You could use some of the dictation work to mail an encouragement to a friend. You might also consider choosing a neat one to frame.

7. Read aloud

Remember that reading aloud is a great rainy day activity.  Share any great books you find.  Talk about the main idea of the book.

Have a continuing great summer!

                        -Becky Wyand