INFO for Families

Four Things Every Kid Needs to Know About the Bible

Hopefully, it's in the heart of every Christian parent to teach their kids the Bible.

For the record, that's something that should be done primarily BY PARENTS, not by the church they take their kids to. While there is nothing wrong with attending a great church with creative communication of Truth, nothing can take the place of a mother or father reading a Bible story at bedtime or sharing something God has taught them. These are the lessons that our kids will remember.

But if you are like most imperfect and normal families, sometimes we miss the forest for the trees. We get so caught up in teaching our kids parts of the Bible that we forget to drive home some foundational, "big picture" things.

Trevin Wax posted last week about "Four Things Every Kid Needs to Know About the Bible." It serves as a great reminder of some fundamental things we need to make sure we are getting across to our kids.

An Amazing Resource for Parents

The following is a guest post by Michelle Newbold. She is the mother of four great kids and the wife of one great husband. She highlights an excellent tool that parents can utilize in helping their kids transition into adolescence. Read on...

Two things have always frightened me about parenting.  One, potty training. Two, teenagers.  Being a mom of four children, I am pleased to say I have made it through the potty training era and am moving on to dealing with teenagers.  My oldest turns 13 in a couple of weeks.  I guess the reason the teenage years are so scary for parents is that our culture makes those years sound daunting. Television and movies portray teenagers as out of control and parents throwing their hands up and giving up in despair.  Then there's the whole, "birds and the bees talk," which the media also portrays as an impossible task that never goes like the parent planned.

In our home, we decided to start having "mini-discussions" with our girls when the time came for it.  Our goal has been to provide needed information at appropriate times.  We also wanted to be the ones to explain things to our kids and not have them learning about these issues from friends.  Or, receiving misinformation from friends or media!  Since our oldest three children are daughters, our plan was for me to have these discussions with them and then my husband would handle their brother when it is his turn.

At first, these discussions were focused mostly on a brief description of where babies come from and on physical changes occurring in the body.   I kept the initial discussions very brief and on topic.  Then I mentioned that we can talk anytime and left the door open for future mini-talks as needed.  There have been several times she has approached me with a question.  I try not to act shocked at whatever she wants to talk about, and just answer the question in a matter-of-fact way.

Finally, I decided to have a more prolonged interaction with her to cover a broad variety of topics.   I selected the material created by Focus on the Family entitled, Preparing for Adolescence.  These CDs were recorded by Dr. James Dobson as he taught first his daughter, and then other teenagers on the coming adolescent years.  We used the CD set and the "Family Guide and Workbook".  I also plan to buy the book eventually for her to keep as a reference.    The book is basically the main words that Dobson says on the cd's.

Do You Have a Vision for Your Marriage and Family?

In the day-to-day grind of our lives, few of us take the time to consider what our ultimate vision is for our families. The stresses of life often force us to tackle one crisis at a time without a clear thought of what we are ultimately building in our homes.

In recent days, I have experienced this first-hand. Even those of us in "family ministry" can be so focused upon serving others in the church that we neglect to serve those that we share a home with. As a husband and a father, I have to recognize that my wife and children need and deserve my very best. When I lead my family "on the fly" (which I am prone to do), everybody suffers. Instead, God wants us to live our lives out of a sense of purpose that comes from Him as revealed in His Word.

With these issues in mind, I want to invite you to listen to the radio broadcast of FamilyLife for today (Monday, October 17) and tomorrow (Tuesday, October 18). Their guest is Rob Rienow of Visionary Family Ministries. I want you to listen because what he shares is paradigm-shifting stuff. It has the power to change how you lead your family. But I have another agenda, as well...

If you live in Atlanta (and go to Johnson Ferry), Rienow's interview can serve as a "teaser" for you. Rob will be with us at Johnson Ferry on Sunday morning, January 22. He will be teaching part one of his Visionary Parenting curriculum in a large-group Bible study format. Then, we will be encouraging all adult classes with children still at home to utilize his 8 week video study during the next few months. Rob's perspective is Biblical, powerful, and will serve to re-focus us all on what really matters.

So take a few moments to listen to his FamilyLife interview with Dennis Rainey. It's very good stuff.

You can find it online at FamilyLife Today.

A Few Observations on the Crafts Your Preschooler Makes at Church

I’d like to rant a bit about one of the most important decisions a parent must make regarding their children. Of course, I’m talking about this troubling question: 

“What do I do with the craft projects my preschooler makes while in the church nursery?”

Unlike some insignificant one-time choices (like what college they will attend, for example), this issue must be faced on a weekly basis, so a parent’s strategy must be carefully considered.    

Preschool art projects are designed to reinforce the story your child was taught in class. That pipe-cleaner Jonah glued to the construction paper whale is not just a time-filler. It is an intentional tool designed to further reinforce the theological implications of evangelism, unmerited grace, and obedience to the voice of God. That’s quite a stretch for a three year old, but I guess it’s my job to help her to make the connection. 

I have to be honest: I would care about these creations a lot more if my daughter were actually aware of the fact that she had made something. In most cases, the complexity of the craft suggests that her teacher did most of the work. This is affirmed by the blank stares I get from my child when I ask her about her scale model of Solomon’s Temple made from popsicle sticks. She typically gives me a look that says, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”