Crumb Grabbers and Ankle Biters

This post is going to be short and sweet, ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT!  Ok, that's all there is to know...  Have a great day!

Just kidding... 

There happens to be approximately 874 billion ways to raise children.  Give or take a trillion or so.  Every book you read is the correct way to raise them, discipline them, feed them, care for them, etc...  Every parent has a sense of what their child is like.  What motivates them (money, punishment, stuff, time, etc.) to do what they should or should not do is generally different per kid.  I have 4 kids.  They did not come from the stork or a cabbage patch.  They are not "cookie cutter" kids.  They have completely different personalities, wants, needs, loves, ways to be loved, favorite sports, favorite teams, colors, soap scent preferences, what color the sky is...  Suffice it to say, they differ a bit. 

So why did God bless us with 4 kids of such differing personalities?  Some of you may have guessed because of His great sense of humor.  Not a bad guess.  That may ring true some days more than others.   

So, how do we love and raise our kids in a changing world?  How do we guide them through the "shark infested waters"?  What do we do to teach them about and what do we shelter them from?  With the way the world seem to be going sometimes, I would like to lock my kids in a bunker with no television service of any kind except for the occasional VeggieTales.  Bill Cosby said on child rearing, "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out and make another one that looks just like you!"  But since that is not really an option, what do we do? 

 

We have to pray.  God calls Himself Father for a reason.  He did a good job too!  In the days of Roman occupation of Israel, even with all the debauchery and craziness, He raised a perfect son.  He sent Jesus at just the right time, to just the right people, in just the right place, and raised Him to be just the right man.  So, I think we can learn from God on this one.  Pray for every aspect of your parenting.  Pray for everyone who your child comes in contact with.  Pray for their future spouses (this one scares me half to death).  Pray for their choices that will come before them. Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

There will be many times of indecision when it comes to raising our kiddos.  Satan works like that.  He tempts us to lose focus and forget to pray.  We need to guide our kids in the various ways God shows us.  He will answer when we ask Him for help in any situation regarding our kids or anything else.  He said, For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Sounds like He's available.

Two rules I know from being a parent.  No one is a perfect parent here on earth.  All kids will mess up.  The difference is we do our best and if we mess up, we make a comeback and keep trying.  God is there for us when we make our mistakes in life and in parenting.  Don't ever be afraid to ask for help.  We try our best, do the best we know how, fall down, mess up, and ask God and others for help.  We need to help and be available for each other.  Be open and honest with our common struggles and help each other back up.  When we help and support each other, life gets easier to deal with.

Hope this post was not too convoluded.  This subject has been written and discussed since kids were first around.  I hope this post gives you Hope, Help, and a Blessing.  Try to make time to pray with and for your children as soon as possible.  Start something new if you don't yet.  May you and yours have a blessed day!