How to Be a Good Christian ParentSample

A Loving Parent

Your marriage is an important part of your parenting. In fact, it’s vital. You and your spouse are the one relationship that is before your children’s eyes daily. It is the primary relationship where you can demonstrate to your children your own devotion to God and to His Word. Are you loving the person that God has given you in marriage?

Are husbands loving their wives as Christ loved and laid down His life for the Church? Are wives respecting their husbands in the way the Scripture teaches? Parents’ relationship to children is a relationship based on authority. To show your children how to properly relate to someone in authority and how to properly exercise authority, you need to model to them how to live under the authority of God in your own lives. How you treat your spouse is very important. This is another area where you need to examine your heart daily.

You need to make your spouse a priority over any other relationship in your life. Do you spend time with your spouse? Do you give gifts to each other? Are you kind in your daily exchanges? Do you forgive each other? Do you pray and worship God together? Do you help each other around the house? Do you consult with each other about money? Are you respectful to your spouse in front of your children? Your children are like sponges: they absorb everything they see you do. They remember everything they hear you say.

You and your spouse should be united in your approach to parenting. Consistency and mutual support in discipline and guidance are crucial. Children should see a unified front, understanding that both parents are aligned in their expectations and values. In other words, your children should not get a “no” from mom regarding an activity or a purchase and then go to dad behind mom’s back and get a “yes.” Always consult each other. If you do not know what the other parent would say, tell your children to wait for the answer until you are in agreement on the matter. Your children will respect that. They might not say it at the moment, but they will love that their mom and dad love and respect each other.