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Building Healthy Families


Here are seven ways as parents you can build faith in your family. Your home is a place that is fertile soil for God's Word to grow. 

  1. Reclaim family dinners

 

This is a lot time in the family. With everyone going here, there, and everywhere it is hard for the family to come together and eat. Be encouraged to stop once or twice a week to eat as a family. This time can be used to talk about what is happening in each others life from school, friends, spiritual walk, etc. 

 

Mom, dad, this is time to ask those all important questions. Don't miss out on spending time eating together and using it as a time to set everything aside to know what is happening in your child/children's life

 

  1. Provide non-threatening times for kids and parents to interact together

 

Get families together to build relationships. Building family relationships can happen by getting families in the same room. Being strategic to have parents interacting with kids from other families and also having parents interact with their own kids too. 

 

  1. Parenting trainings and resources

 

Take time to research the different resources a parent could use on current trends. Resources include:

 

 

  1. Be attentive to the teachable moments

 

Mom and Dad, this is the time that you have the opportunity to teach Biblical truths to your children. It is amazing the things you can use to teach your children. Here is a for instance moment. When you are sitting together watching a family movie on Friday night and someone uses inappropriate language, gets angry to solve a problem, or gets involved sexually with someone other than their spouse use it as a teaching moment. Say something. "In our family we don't use that kind of language." "if you get angry it is better to use your words and talk things out then to use violence." "God intended marriage to be between a husband and wife and it is one that Gods sees as special." Don't let the media dictate what and how your children learn. 

 

Take time to discuss what they are watching. This allows for honest, open, and transparent conversations. Your children need to know it is ok to come and talk with you about these types of topics.

 

  1. Be with your kids

 

With everything that has happened in 2020, parents have found themselves spending more time with their children. Maybe even more than they thought they would. However, it is important to be with your kids with no agenda. Mom, Dad, your children need you to be present. This means that you are not on your phone or distracted by other things. Your children want to be with you. Play games. Go for family walks. Ride your bikes. Be with your kids. Be in the moment.

 

  1. Let go of the expectation of being a perfect family

 

Have you said this about your family, "My family is all messed up." I know I have. It is because we have seen families from years ago that looked "perfect." Stop looking at the Cleavers, Huxtables, Seavers and Keatons thinking that you have to have a family like that. Here is the reason why, there is no perfect family. If you were to stop for a moment and go to scripture you will find families that were not perfect. Here are just a few of the stories found in scripture: 

 

  • Lot and the lost city of Sodom. Topics: homosexuality, same-sex marriage, sexual identity
  • Hagar and Ishmael. Topic: Single motherhood
  • Book 1 - Wild dreams by Joseph. Topics: rivalries and jealousy
  • Book 2 - Family recovery by Joseph. Topic: healing and restoration of family

 

By taking the time to help families see that they are not the only family walking through difficult times helps them to see how the Bible is relevant for today. 

 

  1. Recognize the "HOLY MOMENTS" in day-to-day activities

 

Take a moment and think about sitting around your dinner table. Think about when your children are taking showers or a bath. Ok, I know this may sound strange, but hang on with me. These are every day occurrences. Think with me how you could use these day-to-day activities to share 'HOLY MOMENTS" with your children. Here are a few examples:

 

  • Dinner table - Share about the Last Supper
  • Bath time - Talk about baptism and what it means
  • Bed time - Talk about the importance of prayer and how God hears us
  • Yard work - pull weeds of the flesh and plant seeds of the Spirit
  • Physical growth - Spiritual growth
  • Eating physically - Eating Spiritually

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