Parenting Pillars
Priority Relationship
The best gift you can give your children is a visibly strong marriage. Genesis 1 and 2 set the stage for this priority relationship. A strong marriage builds on the security of your child’s heart. We firmly stand on this truth: The core of a nation is the family, the core of the family is the husband/wife relationship and the core of the husband/wife relationship is Jesus Christ. When the marriage weakens, the family weakens. When the family weakens, a nation weakens! However, when a marriage is strengthened, the family is strengthened, and when the family is strengthened, the nation strengthens!
Dad’s and Mom’s Responsibilities
Though the husband’s responsibilities are numerous – one of the most important is to lead his family with a shepherd’s heart. In addition, the manner in which he treats his wife and his children clearly communicate to the children who God is. He is the truest picture of who God is to the child’s watching eyes!
The woman/wife/mom sets the tone in the home and this model is presented from a Biblical perspective. Triumph by surrender is the theme of most of Ephesians 5. For a child to surrender to the will of the parents is beautifully modeled by the wife’s surrender to her husband’s authority and direction in the home. This, of course, was modeled by Christ’s surrender to His Father’s will– a beautiful thing.
Relationship Success
The beautiful and absolutely necessary truths of repentance, forgiveness, and restoration are dealt with in this parenting pillar. Teaching your children by FIRST modeling these imperatives in Scripture is foundational to them overcoming conflict in their lives. Training conflict resolution vs. conflict avoidance is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children for successful relationship building in their future.
Moral Heart Training
Training the heart of the child by writing God’s moral code in their hearts is mandated in God’s Word. We deeply impact t this process as parents by God’s divine design. We hold the pen to write God’s Moral Code on their hearts. We investigate in new ways to impact their hearts and train them in moral heart purposes.
Your Child’s Obedience – A Mandate from God
First, we define obedience from God’s perspective in ways you probably have never really thought of. What is obedience from God’s perspective? We first give it a clear definition so that you as parents can know where you are going. Next, practical success is painted and experienced immediately in the home. This pillar provides many answers to specific problems that many are experiencing.
Establishing Family Identity
The level of strength in your family identity will determine the strength of the peer pressure that your child experiences. In other words – the stronger the family identity the weaker the peer pressure. The weaker the family identity the stronger the influence of peer pressure. We emphasize the importance and provide specific suggestions to build on a stronger family identity today.
Freedoms and Choices: Funnel Parenting
This very freeing concept provides a practical application on how to parent within the funnel and provide boundaries that are appropriate for each child. Depending on their maturity and their responsibility – choices are added. When freedoms are added too early, a child who is ‘wise in his own eyes’ and a child ‘addicted to choice’ is produced.
Discipline Issues
In this section, we deal with specific avenues of discipline that can be used. Within this framework, specific purposes are identified. Self Control is the base virtue that must first be attained in the heart of your child. How to start there! Verbal Warnings, natural consequences, and physical consequences are all dealt with. Encouragement is where the most ground is gained in discipline.
Family Etiquette and a Closing Challenge
Specific encouragement for general etiquette concepts is shared as these ideas have not been readily passed down to the new generations. These steps to become more polite and respectful leave others feeling valued and deeply appreciated. This presents beauty and value to those around you when displayed by young children