Do you prioritize parenting? This world does not. In fact, the world’s value system ranks parenting so low that parents find themselves pulled away from their children. As followers of Christ, standing on God’s Word, we must prioritize parenting.
What does it mean to prioritize parenting? Well, for starters it means that we understand the importance of being active and engaged with our children. Our kids are very dependent as babies. We tend to think that as they age, they need us less and less. In some ways this is true, however, in other ways our kids will begin to need us more and more.
For instance, as they get older, they’re able to dress and feed themselves. This makes our job a little easier as parents, however, we must realize that they will now need us more in other ways. Particularly, they’ll need our help emotionally, socially, relationally, and above all spiritually.
Our kids need us to show them the way.
Consider our own walk with Christ. We follow Him and learn His ways. We learn how He did life, how He interacted with God, and how He treated others. It is imperative for us to model and engage in this discipleship relationship with our children. We are preparing them for life.
Early engagement is best. Research demonstrates that healthy bonding with a parent during the early years of life, sets the stage for healthy relationships later in life. Think about it. How else will our children learn how to trust, communicate, and interact with others? They learn it at home and they learn it early. What lessons are you teaching your children about relationships?
Are you present and available to them? Or, is there a distant and independent environment in the home? Do you check in on their emotional and mental state? Providing them a safe space to express?
The early years are formative years, meaning that many attitudes and behaviors are being formed. Being engaged in the parenting process during the early years will act as a form of preventative maintenance- preventing major issues later on down the line. It’s not a question of if there will be issues to work through. Issues are inevitable. The question is if we will be available to work through their issues with them.
Every child has issues.
No one is perfect. We’ve all inherited a sin nature and are in need of a Savior. Prioritizing parenting will allow you to get them to the One who is able to save and heal them. The earlier the better. Our kids need to know that Christ loves them, died to save them, and is with them every step of the way.
