By, Micah Maddox
1. Prepare everything including the heart the night before. Make lunches. Prepare the entire outfit from head to toe including hair accessories, socks, shoes and jewelry or belt. Finish homework. Pack backpack. Pray for any concerns for the coming day.
2. Get in the Word before school together. Use a daily devotional or read a Proverb or Psalm together with your child before you leave the house.
3. Pray specific prayers together at the house before you leave or in the car on the way. This helps set the tone for everyone’s day and if arguing or complaining is an issue in the car, this will give the kids something else to do. Focusing on prayer gets everyone’s perspective shifted in the right direction.
4. Don’t put pressure on your child to be a world changer. Encourage them to be a Jesus follower. If they can develop a personal relationship with Jesus, it won’t only help them through the school day, but will also carry them through life.
5. Remind them they will never regret doing right or being kind. When we teach them both the positive and negative consequences to their actions, they learn to be accountable human beings who take responsibility for the wise or unwise choices they make.
6. When they get in the car or get home from school ask all the questions. Don’t feel like you are bothering them or asking too much. If we don’t ask, often they might not tell. For example, “Who did you sit with at lunch?” “What was the best part of your day?” “What was the hardest part of your day?” “Is there anything you are worried about?” “Are there any kids that seem left out or like they don’t have a friend?” Let their answers guide you to more questions. Listen to hear the heart and don’t use this time to fix anything. Learn what your child is thinking in response to what happens during the day and identify their joys, sorrows, struggles, and what makes them light up. Use this conversation as a way to find those specific things to pray about both at bedtime and in the car on the way to school the next day.
7. In conversation about school do not focus so much on pleasing others but rather remind your child to please the Lord. Most kids will want to please the teacher, friends, and others. Everyone wants to be liked. But when we remind them to please the Lord with their heart and actions, the result will be kindness, service, compassion and they will stand out as a child who shines not because they are performing for a person, but because they are honoring the Lord. This will take them beyond grade school into adulthood as a servant hearted leader who wants to honor God.
8. Don’t assume because they are at a Christian school they won’t face temptation, or horrific sinful opportunities. Help them suit up for battle each day, and arm them with grace and truth. This goes back to asking all the questions. I guarantee your child has heard about things at their Christian school that you don’t know they know about. Make no topic off limits for conversation with you. Talk and ask. And talk and ask again. If you haven’t had any conversations about sex and your child is in 4th grade, make it a point to start the conversation. 4th grade isn’t a hard and fast rule, but in my experience with 3 kids now in highschool, by 4th grade, other kids were talking about all kinds of inappropriate things. The age might even be younger now with the technology kids have access to. Let them hear it from you first. It’s never too early to begin talking about what is biblical, godly, and appropriate.
9. Don’t assume your child is getting all they need spiritually at school. While they might hear a Bible story, or a great chapel message, it is the parent’s responsibility to shepherd and tend to the child’s spiritual well-being.
10. Live by example. Don’t expect your child to do something you are not willing to do. This means all the preparation for a successful school experience starts at home together. If you want your child to offer to wipe the table at lunch, or pick up trash in the classroom, or be known for kindness, practice doing these servant hearted things at home as a way of “normal” life. Don’t let your child think they can live one way at home and one way at school. This starts with us in our families at home. Live at home the way you want your children to live in life.
Overall, the best thing we can do to prepare our children for each school day is to teach and train them how to truly develop a personal relationship with Jesus. The fruit of His Spirit will shine through them not because they know how to perform spiritually, but because they have the prompting of the Holy Spirit and know how to listen and obey Him.
コメント