Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
-Proverbs 22:6
God calls parents to lead their children.
John C. Maxwell points out these 3 key words for parents to focus on to become a good leader for your children.
- Modeling – What you do has more impact on your child than all the lectures you could ever give.
- Management – Good management is the ability to discern the uniqueness of a child and teach him or her accordingly.
- Memories – Proverbs 22:6 implies that the child has memories of his early experiences and embraces them later in life.
I’ve really tried to think about these three words when parenting my children. I’ve already begun to model the “no cell phones at the supper table” rule even though my kids are years away from even having a phone. I know that when they do get a phone I want to have provided a framework for when we use it and when we don’t. Management is about paying attention to the intricacies of each of their personalities, knowing what motivates and what will cause a “shut down.” In the memories department, we really try to create some standing traditions like going out for pizza at conference time, playing flashlight hide and seek on Friday night, or making Resurrection cookies at Easter. Liz and I know that these traditions promote togetherness and are also some of our most fun times together.
What ways do you see this in action for you and your children? Share your answers in the comments section.
