The Elementary Years: Encouragement Is the Key
Monday, January 25, 2021
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
"And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men." 1 Samuel 2:26 NIV
Thoughts for Today
When your children reach school age, they enter an entirely new phase of their lives. They attend school and have new authorities and new rules they are expected to obey. Their horizons are expanding. They will make new friends and face new challenges.
It is your task and privilege to guide them during these times of change. Be their source of security, their source of information, their source of love. You will watch and teach and guide as they grow in stature as well as in favor with God and man.
The key to parenting during the school-age years is encouragement! Consistent discipline and training remain important, but it is through encouragement, not pushing, that your children will grow to like themselves and to be all they can be.
Consider this ...
Think of some practical ways you can encourage your children during these elementary school years. Praise them. Compliment them. Take an interest in their activities, in what they are learning. Value their opinions. Spend time with them and learn to listen.
Prayer
Father, thank you for my children. Teach me to be a godly parent. Help me understand them and find ways to encourage them. Enable me to watch and teach and guide as they grow in stature as well as in favor with God and man. In Jesus' name ...
These thoughts were drawn from ... Godly Parenting: Parenting Skills at Each Stage of Growth by N. Elizabeth Holland, M.D. This study addresses parenting skills from the time of conception until the child has reached adulthood. It suggests methods for raising healthy, godly children in an increasingly secular society. Specific emphasis is placed on communication and teaching skills, discipline, protection and sexual issues at each age.
Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.
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