Parenting pep talk #1: For those days when your three-year-old has declared herself The Boss of the Family:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”. –Ephesians 6:1 (NIV)
You know what this scripture DOESN’T say? “Children, obey your parents in the Lord when you feel like it.”
Nor does it say: “Children, obey your parents reluctantly, after hours of negotiation.”
Nor does it say: “Children, obey your parents after throwing a ginormous temper tantrum.”
You know what else it DOESN’T say? “Children, obey your parents in the Lord when they are perfect.”
In other words . . . YOU are the grown-up, and YOU ARE IN CHARGE. You are not perfect (who is?!), but God has called you to lead your children, and it honors him when you embrace that role.
Think of it this way: Your kid has three years of life experience; you have . . . well, a lot more than three. You don’t know everything, but you know a LOT more than a three-year-old. You know right from wrong—she does not. You know how to cross the street safely—she does not. You know what is healthy to eat—she does not. You know what clothes are appropriate to wear outside the house—she does not. You know what bedtime is appropriate for a three-year-old—she does not.
We’re not talking about being harsh and authoritarian here, but about strong, confident, decisive parenting. And you know what? Even when you make mistakes, you know how to say “sorry” when you come on too strong. You know how to start over tomorrow when you messed up today.
Remember: You know how to love and lead your child better than anyone else on earth could ever do. So what are you waiting for? Reclaim your title as Boss of the Family. Your kids will be glad you did (and so will God).
Parenting Pep Talk #2: For those days when you feel like a gigantic failure in your parenting:
“…His compassions never fail. They are new EVERY MORNING. Great is your faithfulness.” –Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)
No parent is perfect. Every one of us has days we’d like to undo, words we’d like to unsay. We all need do-overs.
Kids are full of a lot of things, but you know what they’re most full of? GRACE. Children excel at forgiveness. And when you’ve put a lot of love in the bank with your kids, you can make the forgiveness withdrawals you need—as 1 Peter 4:8 puts it, “Love covers over a multitude of sins.” So…if you’ve messed up, apologize. Tell your kids what you did wrong, and that you are changing. Get help from wise friends if you need help learning how to be different. But DON’T STOP PARENTING just because you’ve made some mistakes. Your kids still need you to fulfill your God-given role as their parent. They only get one YOU . . . and as long as there’s today, it’s not too late to be what they need. Watching you grow and change will be a huge life lesson in itself for your children: that no one’s perfect, we all make mistakes, apologies matter, forgiveness works, and God helps people change. Now THAT’S good parenting.
