Category Archives: Children

Sneak Peek #19

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Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE

Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers are the most darling people on the planet. When your first newborn was placed in your arms, you probably studied her face with a sense of awe you’d never felt before. Taking in the wonder of a brand-new life is an experience words can’t define. The scent, the softness, the helplessness, they’re all intoxicating. As a mother holds a baby against her chest, she’s lulled into a dreamlike world of wonder like no other.

And the amazement over children doesn’t end when they leave their newborn days. Crawlers, toddlers, and those learning baby talk easily capture a mother’s heart with their antics. Watching them is pure entertainment, and cameras click nonstop over every new achievement.

Then there is the charm of preschoolers with their endless (and often thoughtful) questions, many of a spiritual nature. Parents delight in watching them try to make sense of their narrow worlds and enjoy new abilities to do more things well.

Regardless of how infatuated a mom can be with her little one, there is no good time to worship children.

SIDEBAR: HOW TO PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN

  • Pray for solutions.
  • Pray the details.
  • Pray daily.
  • Pray over a sleeping child.
  • Pray believing God will answer.
  • Pray your child’s name into Bible verses.
  • Pray anywhere.
  • Pray about everything.

Sneak Peek #18

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Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE

The uniqueness of children is one reason they fascinate us. Some are malleable, like peanut butter. Others are unbending, like peanut brittle. Such radical differences definitely make your job more difficult, and you long for even one way you can treat your children the same without doing damage to somebody. Is there such a thing? The answer is yes.

One thing all children need equally is a mommy who’s glad to be with them. During the early years, they can never get enough of you, and seeking your attention is their way of asking, “Do you still love me?”

They want to know, “Do you love me when I’m acting out? When I’m dirty? When I’m loud? Sick? Disobedient? Messy? Tired?” They’re also interested in the flip side: “Do you still love me when you’re tired? When you’re sick? When you’re working hard?” And they hope for a yes every time. Raising children presents never-ending challenges, but as you do this important work, always remember: peanut butter and peanut brittle both taste good.

SIDEBAR: WHAT NOT TO SAY TO YOUR CHILD

  • Why can’t you be like your brother?
  • You’re a bad girl.
  • You don’t measure up.
  • You’re too big to wet your pants.
  • There’s nothing to be afraid of.
  • Sometimes I don’t like you.
  • You aren’t as valuable as your sister.
  • I don’t know what to do with you.
  • You do things wrong.
  • Just wait till your daddy gets home.
  • I knew you would make a big mess.
  • You are hard to love.
  • You’re a disappointment to me.
  • I wish you’d never been born.

Sneak Peek #17

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Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE

I (Mary) used to volunteer for the local Meals on Wheels organization, packing and taking healthy meals to shut-ins. Though I’d wanted to do this from the time my children were little, I decided it would be too much to bring them along. Instead I waited till they were all in school. I could deliver the meals quicker that way and move on to the many other things I wanted to do.

Then one day, after collecting the packaged meals I was to deliver and shoving the overloaded bin into my car, I watched as another mom joined our crew of delivery ladies. She’d brought her two-and-four-year-olds along and was moving at their much slower pace. She handed one meal at a time to her little ones. “Carry this to Mommy’s car now. Be careful, because there’s a hungry lady waiting for us to bring it to her.”

The example of this woman patiently letting her children help with this worthwhile project impacted me, and I stopped to watch. It occurred to me I’d missed a golden opportunity to teach my children some great lessons by waiting to volunteer till they were all in school. Meals on Wheels would have been the perfect way to teach an important character trait: helping those who couldn’t help in return. And since most of the meal recipients were elderly, they would have been blessed to see the children. But I’d chosen to put efficiency above values, forfeiting that opportunity.

When you and your young children do things together, God counts this as “redeemed time.” Including the youngsters He’s given you elevates the activity to a level of His special blessing since you are joining with Him in acknowledging their importance. Children are little for only a short time, and those first five years fly by. So work to be deliberate about beating the clock, making that time count.

SIDEBAR:  A PEEK INTO YOUR PRESCHOOLER’S HEART

  • My universe revolves around me.
  • My world is often confusing.
  • I can’t trust everyone.
  • Sometimes I’m afraid.
  • A night-light is comforting.
  • My world is new and interesting.
  • I like to go along.
  • I learn fast.
  • I can’t verbalize how I feel.
  • I adore my mother.
  • I want to do what Mommy does.