Tag Archives: Cultivating respect

Children Need to Respect Mom

Uncategorized, , ,

by Pat Lamb (www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

Children Need to Respect Mom

         For many mothers, Mother’s Day is the favorite holiday of the year.  It is so nice to be honored and hear the expressions of love and appreciation.  However, in many cases, mothers are not given the respect or honor they should receive not only on Mother’s Day but also during the remainder of the year.  

         In order for a mother to be respected, she must do some things to earn that respect, dad needs to encourage the children to respect their mother, and a family needs to attend a church where children are taught the importance of the family and the command to honor parents.

         Although we should each respect our mother whether the respect is earned or not, it is so much easier when the mother does and does not do certain things.  Mothers should have the well-being of the family in her mind and heart first after love for God.  A Godly woman is a woman who is filled with love as described in the 13thchapter of I Corinthians in the Bible.  She is patient with her children and understands each child is unique. She needs to do her best to see that the children are getting proper food and have a clean, orderly house to live in.  She needs to be an encourager.  Her speech should be gentle.  Mothers who use profanity and “street talk” have a hard time getting real respect from children.  

         Dad plays a big role in teaching children proper respect. He needs to set a good example for the children by showing respect to their mother.  In addition to setting the example, he needs to require the children to always speak respectfully and to listen to the mother.  Under no circumstances should he override the mother’s decision in the presence of the children.  To do so indicates that he does not believe that she is capable of making right decisions for them. Children quickly pick up on this attitude and they, too, decide that she is not capable of giving them advice.  If dad disagrees with mom, the issue should be settled between the two of them out of the presence of the children.  When men talk down to their wives in front of the children, the children get the impression that their mother is inferior. Mother’s Day presents an opportunity for dad to work with the children to remind them to do something to show their appreciation and love for their mother.  

         Families who do not attend church are robbing themselves of a great deal of help.  In church, the children are taught the Ten Commandments. They usually are required to memorize them.  One of the commandments tells us to honor our fathers and mothers.  This is not an option.  God holds us responsible to obey this commandment as well as the others.  It really helps to have someone outside the family teaching the children to act properly and to respect their parents. As I watch children in church recite Scripture, sing songs, and learn how to behave properly, I often feel sad to think how many children are missing out on these activities.  These activities, along with camp opportunities, enhance the learning they get at school and home. They get practice in memorizing and they learn Scripture verses about acting correctly which better prepares them for life.

         Although Mother’s Day comes only one time each year, we should teach children to love and respect their mothers at all times.  This positive behavior should become a pattern of behavior to last a lifetime.  

Making Memories on Memorial Day

parenting, Raising kids, teamwork, , , ,

 

 

Train up a child…

 

Make Memories on Memorial Day

 

Creating good memories for children is like investing in the future.  Family traditions experienced as children form the basis for the creation of their own family traditions when those children become adults.  Families form bonds that last throughout life as they learn of past family history. They learn to respect and appreciate the sacrifices made by ancestors and the many men and women who have fought for our freedom as they participate in the observance of Memorial Day.

Many families have a tradition of decorating the graves of family members and friends on Memorial Day. In fact, the day was once called “decoration day”.  When the routine is repeated each year, the children learn not to question the day’s activities.  They know ahead of time what will be done on that day.  Many families are scattered and no longer can get together, but the memory of that day remains in the minds of those who have participated in the day’s activities in the past.  When our children were young, we were away from all of our relative’s graves, but we took the children to the grave of a former neighbor who had befriended the children.  We mentioned those in the past from our own families.

Memorial Day is a time to remember the past history of the family.  We should not allow ourselves to be deterred by jokes about telling about the past.  Children need to know about the past and the lives of their ancestors.  They especially need to be told of the heroic accomplishments of family members in the past.  A little of the negative side serves to remind the children of what not to do or be.  Storytelling has great value for children.  It requires them to visualize for themselves rather than having a picture to go by.  It helps in developing their listening skills.  Most families have some members who have given their lives to protect our freedom.  These people should be pointed out and stories told of their bravery.

When children carefully walk through a cemetery, they sense that it is a special place and that respect should be given to those who are buried there.  As they hear stories about past loved ones, they cannot help but develop appreciation for the sacrifices that were made.  They will undoubtedly be motivated to make their own lives productive.

A good way to end the day is to have a barbeque or other type of picnic or family get-together. One of the things that children love most is to have parents and grandparents play games with them.  They enjoy watching the adults run or make mistakes of any kind as they play such games as workup softball, tag, hide-and-seek, etc.

An often overlooked holiday, Memorial Day can be a real opportunity to develop appreciation and respect. It is a time to bond as a family.  The traditions of a family on Memorial Day are traditions to cherish.