Love Your Children and Teach them How to Love.


"Kids who are showered with love must be taught to give it away. If we do not teach our children to love, they will become selfish, aloof, and arrogant. God loves us, but he commands us to love him in return and to love others as we love ourselves. Parents, we must imitate God's fatherly love in teh way we expect our children to love us, love their siblings and love those outside of the family. Love is more than a natural response to being loved -- it is a deliberate decision a child makes in response to the teaching and expectations of the parents.

"Love and concern for others should be talked about constantly, encouraged and praised. Teach them expressions of love, such as saying, "Hi," when poeple speak to them. It is rude to ignore or shrug away the grettings of other people. Teach them to looka t people when they speak. Children learn to love by helping. They are capable of so much more than we think. Sometimes, it seems the most conscientious parents have the lowest expectations for their children. We...in fact, create self-centeredness. Teach them to be sensitive and cooperative in meeting each other's needs in the family, especially watching out for their younger brothers and sisters. In our family, we have had "servants week" when everyone tried to "outdo one another" in service. We have used stickers and charts to establish happy, helpful habits. Our emphasis is that the way we treat one another is actually the way we are treating Jesus himself. Matthew 25:34-40

"Children must come to understand that the whole family is an instrument of God to serve and reach out to other people. Loving, obedient children of Christian parents are one of the brighest lights that God will use in a dark and lost world! Encourage them to invite friends, teachers, and acquaintances to church and to pray for specific people to become Christians. Get them invovled! Let them experience the power of God at work through their lives and their prayers! They can learn very early to love people with the great purpose of seeking and saving the lost and helping the needy.

"Our oldest son was very shy and withdrawn in his early years. He seemed not to need people and could drift away into his own little world. Geri and I decided that this behavior was unacceptable and that we would do our best to teach David to be friendly, to care about others, and to connect with poeple. We urged him to look at people's faces and to say, "Hi." Among family and clsoe friends we gave him lots of affection and urged him to be warm and expressive. We shared repeatedly with him Biblical principles like "freely you have received, now freely give" and "Give and it shall be given to you." All of this was done positively, firmly and consitently without making him feel self-conscious. We firmly believed that he could be, in his own special way, a giving, warm friendly child.

"The application of God's principles worked beautifully! Our oldest son is now an outgoing, confident young man who relates easily with people. His sensitivity is still there, but it is now directed towad the feeling and concerns of others and not just toward himself.

The above is quoted from "Raising Awesome Kids in Troubled Times".

Enjoy!
elizabeth