It’s Saturday. The day when moms try to fit it all in in-between baseball practice, grocery shopping and laundry.
But Saturdays are special days when family memories can be made, when special trips and events can be planned, and when your relationship with your children can be fortified.
I’m a mom who was easily caught up in the dailies and I don’t want you to miss the precious in the whirlwind of the pressing.
So, from my mom heart to yours… will you allow this older mom to share with you 5 things you should do with your children today… and every day.
1. Laugh together –
Life can be tough but laughter has a way to lighten the load and bond hearts. Laugh together every day. The belly laughing kind that brings tears to your eyes and makes your jaws hurt. Laugh hard. Laugh out loud. Laugh a lot.
2. Spend time with God together –
Demonstrate your love for and dependency on the Lord by spending time with Him together with your kids. Teach them to pray. Let them hear you pray for them. Read God’s Word to them and help them learn to read God’s Word for themselves. Teach them how to study the Word and find the nuggets of truth God has for each of us as we dig deep and make His Word a priority of our lives and a passion of our hearts. Help them see how much you treasure knowing God and how real He really is. They need to see that what you say you believe is what you really live out.
3. Do something intentionally kind for someone else –
Teach your children the importance of ministering to others by giving them the opportunity to help you plan and prepare to do something kind for someone each day. Let them be creative and develop ideas on their own. It can be something as simple as writing a card for the cashier at the grocery store, making their brother’s or sister’s bed, buying a meal for a stranger, or cleaning an elderly persons home. If you are intentional about being kind and make it fun for your children, they will discover the joy of being self-less instead of selfish.
4. Have a real conversation with your kids –
Your children need to know they can talk to and that you will listen. Set aside everything and have at least a 5 minute conversation with your kids. Talk about their day. Ask them open-ended questions. (Click here for a sample of 21 Conversation Starters to help you break the ice.) Don’t over-react when they tell you something surprising or hard to hear. You need to be the safe place they run to when they feel afraid, ashamed, or hurt. Judging them will run them away. Loving them and giving wise, godly and prayerfully careful words of wisdom is what they need and what they hope you will give them. When they want to talk, be willing to listen.
5. Show them how much you love them –
While it’s important to tell them you love them every day, words aren’t enough. Love is a verb. Hug and kiss your kids every day. Do things intentionally to SHOW them you love them. Things that will speak to their love languages. Kids need to be reassured of your love on a consistent basis. One of the foundations of confident kids is the assurance of their parent’s love. They aren’t likely to long for the acceptance of their peers and do foolish things to get it if they never doubted their parent’s love.
Today and every day, you have the opportunity to leave imprints on your children’s hearts and lives. So, how about you? WILL YOU DO THESE 5 THINGS EVERY DAY so that the imprints you leave will leave a legacy of faith?
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