Christian Parenting — the Long Work — CrossAIHub Christian Living

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"These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 · King James Bible

What the Bible says the parent is for

Christian parenting is not primarily crowd control. It is discipleship. Deuteronomy 6 tells the household to talk about God's word 'when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up' — that is, in every register of the day. Ephesians 6:4 tells fathers not to provoke their children, but to bring them up 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' The parent's first job is to hand the child on to God.

Three habits that carry more weight than words

1. Come to church with them. Every week. Do not make the child do religion alone.
2. Say grace at the table. Read a Bible at bedtime. Kneel to pray with them. Your children will remember rhythms, not lectures.
3. Forgive them out loud, and let them see you forgive one another. Grace in the home teaches grace in the heart.

Discipline is love, not anger

Proverbs 13:24 — 'He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.' Discipline is love that says no when no is right, and holds the line long enough for the child to understand why. But discipline is never anger. If you cannot be calm, wait until you can. Never discipline in front of others. Never humiliate. Explain. Correct. Restore. Hug. Move on.

On teenagers

Teenagers do not need less parenting. They need different parenting. Stop lecturing. Start listening. Take them out for coffee one at a time. Ask them real questions and let them answer. Trust them with real responsibility. Talk about hard things before the world does — about sex, about money, about God, about the phone, about identity. Then trust the Lord for the fruit.

On phones and screens

Delay them. Delay them long. When the child does get a phone, keep it out of the bedroom at night. Set filters. Talk about what they see. Read Christian Basics · How to Read the Bible together. Give them better things to want than what the screen is selling.

The parent's own soul

The best gift you give your child is your own walk with Christ. If your own faith is thin, no parenting technique will make up the difference. Pray. Read Scripture. Repent. Worship. Be the household you want the child to grow up inside of.

When it is hard

Some seasons of parenting break a mother's heart. God's own children have often broken his heart. Keep loving. Keep praying. Keep the door open. Read the parable of the prodigal son and remember: the father in the story ran. So can you.

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