How to Be a Good Christian ParentНамуна

A Family-First Parent

As a parent, you need to love your spouse. However, you also need to love your family. That means that you need to put your family first. We live in a busy world. It is so easy to get involved with many different things. It is easy to allow work and other activities to occupy all of our time. Spending quality time together with our family will not happen automatically. Sometimes, it requires a sacrifice. Nevertheless, we need to be intentional about our time together as a family. We need to make our family a priority.

Have meals together. Do fun activities together. Play together. You need to have leisure time and enjoy each other, but you also need to have serious, heartfelt conversations with your children. Sometimes we are really tired when we get home. Often, we allow that to rob us of the time we should spend with our children. We miss the opportunity of having meaningful substantive conversations with them.

Be intentional about creating quality times with your children. Guard your time together. You can volunteer at their school or coach a sport they are interested in. Or you can engage your children in an activity that you are doing. For example, if you are allowed to bring your children to your office or you work for yourself, take your children to work with you. Let them see what you do for living. Maybe, they will help. Maybe, they can learn a skill. Other times, take your children with you when you go shopping. Let them be part of daily family responsibilities. Create special time with them and also engage them in your activities; both will help them enjoy your company. Children will always appreciate that. 

Raising children is an expensive undertaking. It not only has financial costs, but it requires time, energy, and emotional resources. When you get weary, ask the Holy Spirit to replenish you. Remember your children are the greatest investment you will ever make. It is a lifelong investment. As hard as it is, it will be worth it in the end if you do it right.