Importance of Discipleship
Discipling your children is not just when your child is little. Nor is it something you should wait on ‘until they get it.’
Discipling your children shouldn’t be just ‘during the day’ or ‘just at Church.’
Like our learning, our discipling is all the time.
I believe our homeschool allows for questions to be answered as they come up throughout the day, as opposed to children having to wait, and possibly forgetting, until they get home from school.
“Train up a child in the way that he should go and he will not depart from it.” Prov 22:6
As Christian parents we are failing our children first hand if we don’t disciple them. If we are failing them then we are failing God.
Tips on how to disciple your children:
Lead by example
Our children will become what they see lived out everyday. Want them to become great gossipers? Then go ahead and gossip about so-and-so when your kids are in earshot.
Want them to serve the Lord with a willing heart? Then volunteer to work in the church nursery and don’t whine about it. Better yet, clean the church bathrooms every week and have your children help you.
Praise good behavior
Catch them behaving well. Say “good job _____ for sharing.” Praise will reinforce the good behavior.
Discipline poor behavior
Do your children a favor; DISCIPLINE them when they need it. Likewise, if you say such and such will happen if they do a certain behavior then FOLLOW THROUGH.
Can you tell these are important subjects to me? Nothing chaps my hide more than a mom who sends empty threats to their child or worse, ignores the behavior.
Nobody wants to be around that, not to mention your child will thrive with boundaries. Boundaries = love.
Grace and Forgiveness
I give grace by the spoonful….or maybe bowlful. As a mom that needs grace given to me because I fall. Often. I practice giving it.
Nobody is perfect.
Asking and granting forgiveness is also practiced.
I am linking up with the Teach Them Diligently blog hop.
Their new conference locations have been announced.
The Principal hopes to make Vacation 2014 in….
Wow, you just summed it up – the way it’s really supposed to be! Yes, we are always supposed to be discipling them from birth. That doesn’t mean it’s a feel good thing or a condescending thing – but a loving life pointing children to God through our lives and what we are teaching them with grace and mercy (cause parents need those too, right)? LOVE this post Katey! You are such a blessing!