Parenting Beyond Your Capacity

The Preschool Leadership Team has started reading Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof. This has challenged me on my own parenting and how I relate with my two little ones. I would like to share a few convictions that have stemmed from my reading time.

First, Just being together can never substitute for interacting together in a meaningful way(pg.26). We live in such a busy world and we are aways being pulled into different directions. We have work, dinner, t-ball practice, dance, cg, PTA meeting, etc. and we typically just drag our kids around with us... at the end of the day the question is how much was I available to my kids today? By the time we get done doing all that needs to be done we want to sit down and watch tv or play on the computer while our child plays next to us. What kind of quality time are we really giving our kids?

Second, No one has more potential to influence your child than you (pg. 27). No teacher, pastor, or coach will influence your child's character, self-esteem, perspectives, or faith like you the parent will. That is good news! In such a scary world where there is a lot of negative and evil influences we know we have the most influence. The important thing to remember is that this is encouraging not overwhelming. This influence has to do with our relationship with our child, not our exceptional parenting skills! God has given us a love and ability to lead our child. Trust in the Lord to give you wisdom to train up your children!

Third, You are not the only influence your children need (pg. 30). It takes a village to rear a child! We need to be intentional about placing other Christian adults in our children's lives. These important relationship will be vital with each passing year as your child begins to seek approval and affirmation outside the home.

I am so thankful for cLife where there are amazing servants teaching our children about God's love while we are in service worshipping our Savior. I love that I am given the tools to reinforce all that they are learning at home. We together as a village will hopefully live out a love for God that will lead our children to want that same relationship with our Lord.

Tiffani