Parents: We can do this ...

[Revived]

Parents! We can do this.

We can take our parenting fears to Christ. In fact, if we don’t, we’ll take our fears out on our kids!

Fear turns some parents into paranoid prison guards who monitor every minute, check the background of every friend. They stifle growth and communicate distrust. A family with no breathing room suffocates a child.
Fear can also create permissive parents. For fear their child will feel too confined, too fenced in, they lower all boundaries. High on hugs and low on discipline. They don’t realize that appropriate discipline is an expression of love.

Permissive parents. Paranoid parents. How can we avoid the extremes?
We pray! Prayer is the saucer where parental fears are poured to cool. Each time a parent prays, Christ responds. His big message to moms and dads?
Bring your children to Me. Pray! Raise them in a greenhouse of prayer!
“Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire. Proverbs 29:17″

From Max Lucado's Fearless

 

[suzybeezy]

Thank you for this post. I believe I probably qualify as a "helicopter" mom. I use to be a pretty easy going parent, with my elder two children, while still providing the appropriate balance of discipline. Due to an incident that occurred with my 3rd child, that completely changed me, I now watch them like a hawk and am filled with fears of them ever being out of my sight. I've tried to recover and let the Lord help me loosen my reigns on them, but its an area I really struggle with to this day.

After reading your post I'm going to make more of an effort to keep taking this to the Lord in my daily prayers to try to make a change - it really needs done.

 

[Revived]

Glad to hear, Suzy. Thanks for sharing and for being so transparent. Joining in prayer!

 

[Revived]

May our sons flourish in their youth
like well-nurtured plants.
May our daughters be like graceful pillars,
carved to beautify a palace.

Psalm 144:12


Love that passage!

 

[whitebeaches]

Parents! We can do this.

We can take our parenting fears to Christ. In fact, if we don’t, we’ll take our fears out on our kids!

Fear turns some parents into paranoid prison guards who monitor every minute, check the background of every friend. They stifle growth and communicate distrust. A family with no breathing room suffocates a child.
Fear can also create permissive parents. For fear their child will feel too confined, too fenced in, they lower all boundaries. High on hugs and low on discipline. They don’t realize that appropriate discipline is an expression of love.

Permissive parents. Paranoid parents. How can we avoid the extremes?
We pray! Prayer is the saucer where parental fears are poured to cool. Each time a parent prays, Christ responds. His big message to moms and dads?
Bring your children to Me. Pray! Raise them in a greenhouse of prayer!
“Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire. Proverbs 29:17″

From Max Lucado's Fearless

i like this. praying daily for them is so important and praying for guidance in raising them as well. Sometimes it's so hard making certain decisions. I love that verse. Proverbs 29:17