Parent Tips
Parents Tip Videos (#1 HOW TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY)
Okay, parents. We know. You were probably hoping you could be your kid's best friend forever. Maybe you still are, or maybe your kid has begun showing an interest in spending time with people who, well, aren't you. Either way, we all know that kids need to develop healthy relationships with other people (besides just you). As a parent, you get to help make this happen! Helping your kid develop a healthy community is important for their mental, emotional, and social development. But it's also really important for their spiritual development! When your kid is part of an intergenerational faith community, they'll get to see a few really important things: diverse stories of faith, diverse examples of how we can serve, worship, and connect with God, and a bigger (and more complete) picture of who God is. Engaging in healthy community can, and should, be a spiritual habit we help kids develop! So this month, think about something you can do to help your kid spend time with other Jesus-followers in a meaningful way — like your neighbors, family, friends, or church community.
Parent Tip Videos (#2 HOW TO HELP KIDS SPEND TIME WITH GOD)
If you've been following Jesus for a while, chances are, you've established a spiritual habit or two that helps you spend time with God regularly — or fairly regularly, at least. Even if your habits aren't perfect (and whoseare?), you've probably found one or two ways to connect with God that works for you, like reading and studying the Bible, or spending time in worship and prayer on your own. But how do we help our kids develop habits like these? And what kinds of spiritual habits are age-appropriate? It's not always easy to know how to help kids spend time with God on their own, in an age-appropriate way, but here are a few ideas. 1. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A BIBLE IN A TRANSLATION DESIGNED for them, and that they can understand. 2. TEACH THEM A SIMPLE WAY TO PRAY that they'll easily remember. For example, you might teach them to take the same "magic words" you've already taught them (like thanks, please, and sorry), and say them to God in prayer. 3. PLAY KID-FRIENDLY WORSHIP SONGS AT HOME, in the car, or while your kids are getting ready for the day, reminding them that worship isn't only something that happens at church. 4.HELP YOUR KIDS MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE, maybe with a song, a fill-in-the-blank game, or a fun competition. 5. REGULARLY SHARE HOW YOU'RE SPENDING TIME WITH GOD. Talk about what you're discovering about God, what God is teaching you, and how God is changing you. How your kid spends time with God will change over time, but what's important is that you help them build a foundation of spiritual habits now that you and your kid can continue to build on as they get older.
Parent Tip Videos (#3 WHY YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR STORIES)
Kids love stories. Maybe you've noticed. They love telling them and, most of all, they love hearing them. That's because stories are one of the primary ways a kid learns! So if there's something important you want your kid to understand, don't think like an adult — think like a kid, and wrap that truth in a story. First, tell your life story. Your life is full of stories that your kid needs to hear, but if you wait for your kid to ask about those stories, you'll end up never sharing them! Talk about your life, family, past, and childhood. Share your good moments and your failures. Talk about when you learned hard lessons. If you can learn to be open and honest now, when your kid is young, as they grow older they'll be much more likely to ask about your insights and experiences when they really need it. Second, tell God stories! Share stories from your own faith journey. Share stories about what God is doing around you. And when it comes to teaching kids about who God is, share stories from Scripture. This is really important: if you want to teach a kid about faith, don't just teach them facts about Jesus or the Bible. Instead, tell them stories! They'll be much more likely to remember a Bible story than a fact — and the good news is that the Bible is full of stories we can share.
Parent Tip Videos (#4 HOW TO HANDLE BULLYING)
Okay, listen. I know you love your kid (and your church loves them too), but can we be honest for a second? Kids can be really mean! Whether it's mean comments, fights with friends, gossip, rumors, or more serious concerns like bullying, kids deal with a lot — sometimes as victims and sometimes as perpetrators. So what can you do when these situations arise? 1. CALL IT OUT. When we see kids treating others with disrespect, cruelty, or violence, we have to call it out. If your kid is being bullied, they need to know it's not okay and that they don't deserve it. And if your kid is the one bullying, they need to hear you communicate that it's not okay, rather than making excuses for them. 2.PROVIDE SUPPORT. Whether your kid is the victim or the bully, they need your support. Let them know you'll walk with them through this. 3.HELP THEM MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS.Whether it's anger, fear, sadness, or shame, help them identify what they're feeling so they can better control their responses. 4.BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE. Whether your kid is the bully or the victim, they need to know you love them, believe in them, and are with them — even when they mess up. 5. http://intervene.your kid doesn't need you to fight every battle for them, but they do need your help sometimes. Fight for your kid when they're not sure how to fight for themselves.