Effective Parenting in a Defective World
An Excerpt from a School of Christian Growth course
| GOD'S DREAM FOR YOUR CHILD | THE HUMAN DREAM FOR YOUR CHILD |
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According to Romans 8:29, God's goal for all of us, including our children, is to conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. God wants our children to be holy, set apart for Him, morally pure, understanding His love, counter to the culture. When the target for our children is to be like Jesus viz. have the character of Christ - kind, disciplined others-centred, non-narcissistic, having a passion to love and walk with God, they will have happiness, joy, impact, influence and purpose in their lives. |
Our culture and society have deeply ingrained in us that the real goal of parenting is to raise successful and therefore, happy children. They try to convince us that the target of a good parent is to ensure our children have the best and most prestigious education, highly developed musical and athletic prowess, refined social skills, all of which should lead to greater upward mobility in life with greater opportunities of success and of course, greater happiness. That's a false target. |
Eight Relationships that Build a Deep Bond
Parents must create an environment – through shared experiences, visible care and concern, and meaningful expressions of love – in which their own hearts become glued together with the hearts of their children. The stronger your relationship with your child, the greater the probability he or she will embrace the values you hold most dear through the hard times.
| 1. Unconditional Love | 5. Make Eye Contact |
| 2. Schedule Quality Time | 6. Meaningful Touching |
| 3. Focused Attention | 7. Have Fun Together |
| 4. Consistent and Ongoing Communication | 8. Pray Together |
Which Parenting Styles Do You Most Identify With?
