Your kids are only small once. Take the time to do these ten things with them and teach them lessons that will last a lifetime.
1. Read to Them
Reading to your children will help to give them a love for books and will provide you with wonderful quality time together. If you do it often you will introduce them to a wide vocabulary and they will subconsciously know that books, and the reading of them, are important. Also, you will be able to
monitor the books you read to your children and will be able to instil in them a love for quality, pure books.
2. Plant a Garden
There is no limit to what can be learnt from a garden. Whether it’s the way that a seed grows or how a plant turns sunlight into food or the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Through planting a garden you can teach your children about working hard, nutrition, patience and the joy of being outdoors and alive.
3. Tuck Them In
To this day, I can still remember being tucked into bed each night by Dad and having long talks with Mum. This is a special time for making life long memories and building binds that will strengthen relationships for years to come.
4. Bake a Cake
Not only is this a perfect opportunity for teaching fractions, addition and nutrition, cooking with your children also teaches them life skills that will not only be of help to you as they grow up, but will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
5. Play a Game
Take the time to teach and play a game with your children. It might be anything from a simple card
game to an intensive team sport. Teach your child strategy, teamwork, healthy competitiveness and good sportsmanship. Also, a quick game or two is good exercise for their minds (and yours!).
6. Teach Them About God
This is by far the most important thing you can ever teach your child. Take every opportunity to explain to your child God’s character and His wondrous works. When a sunny day turns to rain, teach them how God controls the seasons. When they get upset with another person, teach them about how God wants us to love and forgive each other like He does us. When someone’s baby is born, tell them about how God creates and fashions every living thing with amazing detail. Most importantly, live your
Christian life before them. See that you are in tune
with God yourself and ask Him for the wisdom on how to share Him with your children.
7.Draw With Them
Drawing is a lovely pastime, whether you are 2 or 62 or Leonardo or a happy scribbler. Spend time
with your child drawing together. Encourage them in their creativity. Even if you don’t know much about drawing you can learn some basics and pass them on
or you can simply encourage your child in their attempts. But remember, your child will only count something as important if you count it as important. Either way, your child will appreciate you just being there.
8.Show Them Your Work
Whether you work from home or away, you have so much to teach your child. You might teach them all the ins and outs of your occupation, or simply add to their general knowledge. You never know, they just might be interested in taking up the trade for themselves or there might come a time in their lives when they’ll need that knowledge or skill. (This is more aimed towards Dads, but counts for the Mums too!)
9.Sing!
Singing is a lost art these days. The Psalms allude to singing praises to God 43 times and we are outright told to 43 times! In Ephesians 5:19 we are instructed to be “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among ourselves, and making music to the Lord in our hearts.” What a wonderful way to praise the Lord! You do not need to have a great voice to sing with your children, you just need to be able to hold a tune. Even the ‘tone deaf’ can get around this by using CD’s and recordings. And there’s no reason to be shy, it’s just your kids. Besides, it’ll help boost their confidence too.
10.Give Them a Job
It might be sweeping the floors every day or cleaning the bathroom once a week or painting the back fence. Whatever it is, let it be age appropriate and something that they can actually finish. Help them to learn responsibility, diligence, perseverance and accountability. But don’t make it something they dread each morning when they wake up. Praise them when they do something right or well and use tact in how and when you correct them in their weaker areas.
These 10 things are not all diabolical to a good life for you and your child, but they can certainly be
some of the things that add to the journey’s joy!
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