Teaching your children to honor YOU.

 

This past mother’s day I got to choose how we spent the day as a family. I chose painting the kitchen. Not a super restful way to spend Mother’s Day, but my family all pitched in together and we got the job done and that made me feel special.

The day before Mother’s Day my kindergartener treated me to a school party in honor of mothers and he served me coffee, 3 vanilla cookies, sour soothers and  grapes.

   

IMG_5650The day after Mother’s day my teenager took me for Chinese buffet dinner just me and her, and my older son says my gift is in the mail. (Still waiting). Between the glutton of ginger beef, the sting of 10 sour soothers for breakfast, and the paint still stained on my hands and hair, I felt honored and loved.

 

One of God’s commands for us is to honor our mother and father and this we think would come naturally to our children, after all, look at all we do for them. Truth is children are naturally self-centered, and you, my dear parent, are there to make them happy (So they think) and cater to their every whim. (So they wish). We actually have to teach our children how to honor us as parents because they won’t have a clue.

 

I love the scripture “honor your mother and father and you will have a long life” I believe the modern form of this saying is “You watch your mouth young man, I brought you into this world and I can take you out!” Kidding aside, a value instilled in your children to honor you, dear parent, is something that will bless and protect your child in many ways. It will transcend into how they take care of you when you are old, how they treat and respect those in authority, how they honor and love their spouse and most importantly, this value will reflect in how they honor God their father.

 

The teaching starts when they are young. We must teach them how to speak respectfully to authority, teach them to thank us for what we do for them, and we must teach them how to bless us. As they grow into tweens the sass and disrespect can be jaw dropping and as teenagers, well if you haven’t won the battle already prepare to feel like an inch worm at times, but hold to your guns, let them know that they are welcome to an opinion and a voice, even anger, but disrespect is a no go.

 

Other ways to teach our kids to honor us is to honor them. Respecting your children and honoring them teaches through example. Also, let us always be mindful of the example you set when dealing with your in-laws, or parents or talking about them with your spouse. Use mother’s day, father’s day, birthdays and other holidays to show our children how to celebrate one another, get them in on the planning.

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My son, singing.. I’m bringing home a baby bumble bee

 

Parent, remember that God has commanded for you to be honored, so don’t lay down like a mat for your children, expect a higher standard from your children and teens, and feel blessed because of a job well done. 

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