CHRISTIAN PARENTING SERIES
PART I
PARENTING YOUNG CHILDREN

INTRODUCTION

My Child ~ His Child

1. Parenting Young Children Introduction
   
   • Establish Grace-Based Rules
     
     • Training in Obedience
       
     • Consequences for Disobedience
       
     • Example of Child Training
       
   • Develop the Tool of Home
     
     • Bringing Your Children Alongside You
       
     • The Beaver Story
       
   • Rejoice in Reality
     
   • A Conversation Between Two Moms
     
2. Discipling Reasoning Children
   
3. Releasing Steadfast Children
   
4. Celebrating Established People of God

I found parenting young children to be the hardest season for me because I too was a young child in Christ. God was changing my foundational beliefs as well as exposing my heart with His light, and what I saw was not lovely. It was a painful time of growth for me. As we were blessed with more children, more conflict developed and I felt more and more helpless as a parent.

Although I had been churched, I didn’t really understand how much God loved me and tried to raise my young children from my own understanding rather than abiding in Him for the wisdom I so desperately needed. I enjoyed mothering so very much, and I desired to be a Godly parent but I really didn’t know how.

What my loving God showed me through this season of raising young children is that

During this season of young children, I continued to read the myriad of “how-to” Christian parenting books and tried to apply various techniques to develop my parenting style. Through that process of attempting to walk with the Lord, He blessed me with His mercy and grace for my journey and led me to abide in Him.

As I was watching my second child learn to walk, God spoke to my heart:

So, I ask you, Mom, Remember when your child walked to you for the first time? Weren't you thrilled? When you are walking through the woods or down your street and your child’s chubby little hand reaches up to yours, aren’t you blessed?

Likewise, your heavenly Father is thrilled at your attempts to walk to Him and with Him. He loves you! He is not going to punish you for taking wobbly steps. He's going to cheer you on and come alongside you to help you when you fall.

And you will fall! You will have many ups and downs as you learn to walk in the Spirit and abide. God is constant even when you're not. Depend on Him, not on your ups and downs.

As you experience His unconditional love for you, you then can nurture your children with that same unconditional love from the overflow of His love in your heart.

This season of raising young children is your time to begin rooting yourself in the life of the Lord Whose love will fill you to overflowing. You can find many Christian books about abiding, but what practical things can you do to be released to love unconditionally, like God loves you, and to receive His love more fully?

• Train your young children, who are not yet reasoning well, through establishing grace-based rules with clear consequences.

• Develop the tool of home.

• Embrace the reality of your circumstances and relationships.

1. Parenting Young Children
   My Child ~ His Child
   • Establish Grace-Based Rules
     Rules Address Behavior ~ Principles Reach the Heart
     • Training in Obedience
       Call Your Child to Come to You

     • Consequences for Disobedience
       Obedience Brings Blessing ~ Disobedience Brings Pain

     • Example of Child Training
       Right or Wrong?

   • Develop the Tool of Home
     Focused ~ Non-Artificial ~ Intense
     • Bringing Your Children Alongside You
       Enjoy the Process ~ Experience Real Life

     • The Beaver Story
       Restrain External Influences

   • Rejoice in Reality
     Let Him Change You ~ Let Him Change Them

   • A Conversation Between Two Moms
     Heart to Heart

2. Discipling Reasoning Children
   Follow the Crowd? ~ Follow the Lord!

3. Releasing Steadfast Children
   Stewarding My Child ~ Releasing His Child

4. Celebrating Established People of God
   My Child Established ~ His Child Established

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