How to Raise Your Kids God's Way

Raise Caring Children: Some Proven Tips

2019-12-28T17:09:00.001-08:00

According to Harvard Psychologists the best way to raise good caring children doesn't need to hire expensive private tutors or have them attend summer camps. Instead, it all comes down to train them how to care for others too.

In a recent report, Harvard psychologists revealed that children who think about others are happier, plain and simple. Which is great because, as we well know, a happy kid also means a happy mom.

Here are the 7 parenting strategies they outlined that are proven to raise caring children.

Put Fun Time on the Calendar

Why: Kids learn about care and respect when they are treated with care and respect, psychologists say. The best time to give them care and respect—when you're doing something fun together!

How: It's as simple as reading your child a bedtime story or playing tennis together. "Build one-on-one time into their weekly schedules rather than leaving it to chance," the findings suggest. That way you'll treat it just as importantly as that work meeting, and it's more likely to happen on a regular basis. Asking questions like "what was the best part of your day?" and "what did you accomplish today that makes you feel good?" can help them learn to think beyond the surface level of their actions and identify their feelings.

Be a Strong Role Model

Why: The experts say your child learns ethical values and behaviors by watching you.

How: Pay close attention to whether or not you're practicing honesty, fairness, and caring for yourself. "Nobody is perfect all the time," the Harvard report points out. "That is why it's important for us, in fact, to model for children humility, self-awareness, and honesty by acknowledging and working on our mistakes and flaws." Your kids know you're not perfect—or they will when they get to their teenage years—so own it and use it as a chance to talk through your mistakes with your child.

Prioritize Caring for Others

Why: Children won't know that caring about others will make them feel better unless you teach them, experts say.

How: Set high ethical expectations. The findings suggest prioritizing commitments, doing the right thing (even when it's hard), and standing up for values of fairness and justice. Do this and you're on the road to raising someone concerned with the world around them.

Encourage Them To Say Thank You

Why: Children need to practice gratitude. "It's important for them to acknowledge the many people who contribute to their lives," according to the psychologists. It will grow them to be helpful, generous, compassionate, and forgiving—plus, they'll be happier and healthier, the studies found.

How: Make sure your child is showing gratitude on the reg—dinnertime, in the car, at a friend's house, or routinely reflecting and thinking of others. The report says daily repetition is key. Pretty soon, it will be second nature to your kid.

Talk About World Problems

Why: It's important for children to think about their social circle of family and friends, while also being concerned with the big picture. "It's important for children to develop concern for people who live in other cultures and communities," the experts say. This will make them empathetic and prepare them to connect with people of all backgrounds.

How: Discuss global hardships with your child and use newspapers, magazines, or the TV to start the conversation. You can also prompt them to think about what it's like to be someone else. Even if it's just the new kid in class, all of these little thoughtful moments will add up.

Motivate Them to Join a Cause

Why: By getting involved in the community, your child will learn about fairness, loyalty, ethics, and how to work with others. Most children are naturally interested in ethical questions, so by getting involved, they'll be able to navigate their way through these issues.

How: Involve your child in a cause that takes action against problems they face or addresses an area that interests them, the experts suggest. Bonus points if you actually do it with them.

Navigate Through Their Feelings

Why: Kids need to learn how to deal with their emotions in productive ways. Working on this with your child will cut down on the fussy fits and bad attitude they may express. Sometimes our ability to care for others is limited by feelings of anger, shame, or envy, so it's important to overcome these emotions to transform your child into a caring person.

How: Identify feelings with your child, figure out resolutions with them, and train them to work through problems calmly. The report suggests a three-step trick: "stop, take a deep breath through the nose and exhale through the mouth, and count to five." Once they're calm, then you should talk about the problem.

Teen's Advice To Parents About Nurturing Spiritual Growth

2013-09-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

These are Teen's Advice To Parents About Nurturing Spiritual Growth.

Be involved!
Talk to your kids about God, and pray with each child specifically about his or her concerns. Also don't forget to always talk to God about your kids and also bless them during their sleep.

Talk about it!
You must be sensitive with the struggles that your kids are going through, and don't discount it or take it for granted. You can also relate your experiences as a young person. When my kids were young, they love (and even urge us) to tell them about our childhood experiences which usually started with "During our early childhood years..." or "When I was just a young boy/ girl..." You could really see the excitement on their faces as they listen to the story. Verbally and practically, create a 'safe' environment.

Take time to pray with your teens.
We do this every night, before going to bed, and every morning, at the start of the day. We pray as we drove to school. This shows that the parent truly cares about what is going on in her or his teen's life. Encourage them to get involved in Christian groups, and find Christian music they enjoy. Music really is powerful in affecting an individual, so be sure to plug them in to the good music!

Have a relationship with your teen, and talk openly and often about your faith.
Real relationship means that you really relate with your teen. You know them deeply and not only knowing what and when they need something. You let them feel that you really care for them and you are there when they need you especially during hard or crucial moments, when they have some questions in mind about life that would probably be difficult for them to find the answers. You could treat them as your friend.

Spend time in God's Word with them. Pray with them and for them. Open doors of communication by creating a 'safe' environment. It's like telling them that your teens could approach you anytime of the day and you are there to listen to them and talk with them. Explain that God does not wait on the edge of His seat for us to make mistakes so He can judge us. He loves us and wants us to walk in His grace.

Being a parent is a great opportunity of reflecting the image of our loving heavenly Father. This is one way to disciple them to be Christ-like.

Disciple Your Children Intentionally, Making a Timeless Investment

2013-09-09T06:03:00.001-07:00

Disciple Your Children Intentionally, Making a Timeless Investment

You don't need to be a perfect Christian to disciple your teens.

Nobody's perfect, even and especially Christians. And you don't need to be a perfect Christian in discipling your teens and it doesn't require you to be perfect either in helping your teen to become an authentic follower of Jesus Christ.

It can and should be a natural, caring, and even fun experience!

This means that in leading your teens to become mature in their Christian life, it doesn't have to become a form of torture. If in the process it feels like a straitjacket, a knife fight, or a migraine, there is something wrong. Being a spiritual mentor to your teenager can and should be a natural, caring, even fun experience that benefits both you and your child - for eternity.

But you will need to be intentional about it!

Because in this world where we live in, nothing happen by accident or by chance. Even our Great God is an "intentional" God. His intentions and motives are for our own best.

The same is also true in discipling our teens. We need to be intentional, and anything as somber-sounding as "intentional discipling" has to be hard and unpleasant, doesn't it?

5 Tips to Discipline Your Teens

2013-08-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

Here are four ways to practice the kind of discipline that helps your teens become and eager spiritual learners.

1. Give your teen boundaries.

Have you notice along the farms where cows are grazing? They are always located near the fence!
It is also the same with our children, especially our teens. You should define and give your boundaries for your teen. Boundaries that are fully understood and could be followed.

2. Show firmness with your decision but mercy and love should not be left out.

Sometimes it is advisable that, when you impose discipline and punishment upon your child, you should try to suffer the penalty along with him or her. By doing this, you are teaching him or her about compassion and love. You are actually reflecting the message of why did God sent His Son to die on the cross our behalf. To pay for the penalty of our sins, since He is sinless.

3. Do not relinquish your parental authority too soon.

You should instill in the mind of your children that you are still the voice of authority over their lives. It is because you love them so much and you don't want them to wander away from the right path. You could give them freedom that they are ready to handle given their age and sense of responsibility. But giving penalty or discipline should still be imposed in cases that there are disobedience made.

4. Limit activities that are not worthwhile.

Having fun is good for your relationship with your kids. But too much watching videos and movies, strolling the malls, and playing video games can rob us out of quality time. Spending time reading a Bible story or a child's devotional book must also be a priority in instilling moral values for children. You should practice taking a 30 minute period of rest daily with your teen.

5. Think long-term.

Train your child to build a good character by himself or herself. Teach him or her to practice self-control and controlling his or her temper or other negative behavior. Do not forget to praise him or her when you see progress and development towards good behavior.

Giving the right kind of discipline to your teens will not only help you gain your teen's respect, but in the long run, will also give you and your children a lasting relationship for both of you to cherish.

Top 5 Reasons Why Your Children Won't Listen To Your Voice

2013-07-28T03:27:00.003-07:00

As parents, we would truly be delighted if our children are really obedient to us. And many times, the opposite is what happening inside every home, even a Christian family home. This is one area of being parents where we also struggle the most, how to train your children in the way of the Lord is the challenge here.

Most of the time I share the verse from Ephesians 6:1 "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right." to remind them that it is their duty as children to be obedient with their parents at all times except that if it is against moral and against the will of God.

Based on my experience, I would love to share with you the top 5 reasons why our children are somewhat "disobedient" to us and would not listen to our voice.

1. Household Rules are not properly defined or installed and therefore not properly understood.

Just like in every game we play, house rules should be properly defined, communicated and understood by every member of the family. If needed, rewards and penalty should be communicated as well and also must be imposed.

2. Children were not trained well especially during their early years.

"Train up a child in the way he should go so that when he is old he will not depart from it" as the Proverbs says. It is important to input go values, obedience for one, to a child's mind especially during his early childhood, as early as 3 or 4 year old, I believe. For this will become the foundation of good moral values and right conduct as he or she is growing from childhood to teenage years to adolescent and to adulthood.

3. Kids were not motivated to being obedient.

What is there to being obedient? There should be a proper motivation for children to become obedient. I don't believe that corporal punishment or spanking is the answer as it is the opposite of motivation, if you know what I mean. In fact, my middle child, a daughter, will endure the spanking, she would not even cry a tear even if she was spanked or punished for disobedience, as long as she can. She is a Strong-Willed Child (SWC), I know, for I was one, too, when I was a child. :) Shouting or yelling won't do either, believe me, I've been there.

This is the part where you should do the hard work as a parent. Take time to study the attitudes and habits of your kids. And I mean, spend more time to be with your children so that you will know them better. And this should start as early as possible. Cultivate good relationship, and correct your children's bad behavior as young as they are. I believe that in doing this, you will have a proper "grasp" on how to really motivate your children towards obedience, not only to you as their parents, but to other people as well, especially those of authorities.

4. You are not showing a good example.

"Walk your talk" is the key here. For our kids to become obedient, we need to be obedient first. We need to obey the rules we ourselves set in our homes. We are not excuse from not being obedient. In so doing, it will not be difficult for us to rear our children towards being obedient.

5. We are being inconsistent.

We should be consistent especially with our words and the house rules that we set. If we say "yes" we should mean "yes" and "no" should really be "no". There should be no room for inconsistencies. Remember, our children are watching and observing our actions and also the way we treat them if they are being obedient or not.

"Wew!", I heard you say. I know that it is really tough being a parent, but I also believe that if you avoid these things, we will surely reap a good harvest and if you have trained your kids in the way of the Lord, I bet you'll be glad you did. :)

How To Teach Your Kids Moral Values

2013-07-23T07:01:00.001-07:00

To teach your kids moral values is a very challenging task one parent could face.

And it is especially difficult today given the (im)morality or the so called "morals" of today's generation. It is like your swimming or running against the current, as we can today that morality is really declining. We need to teach our young children morality if we wanted them to become productive citizens and have a better future.

Here are some practical suggestions to teach your children the moral values they need to learn:

1. Define moral or morality properly.

This is very basic and at the same time, very crucial since every person has his or her own definition of morality, and if we are not careful enough and have the wrong definition or view of morality, then we are heading towards the wrong direction or even worse.

2. Consider the Bible as the best source of morality.

Since God is the highest and only source of morality and His infallible Word is given to us to guide us in the right path we should take if we wanted to live a holy or righteous life, then there is a need for us to continuously seek His will and guidance through the Bible. It is like our roadmap to which we journey in this life. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path." as written in Psalm 119:105.

3. Live by example.

We always heard, and sometimes we ourselves say "Follow what I say, but don't follow what I do.", but we know that this should not be so. We must always backed up the moral values that we teach our children with our own actions and behavior because actions speaks louder than words. This is the most challenging part, I believe, of teaching our children the moral values they need to learn and prac

Invest Time With Your Kids

2013-07-18T04:37:00.000-07:00

As a wise parent once said, "You never spend time with your kids; you invest it."

Studies reveal that average time parents spend with their kids has drastically declined 10 to 12 hours. "Does it really matter how much amount of time I spend with my children?", you would probably ask. After all, your teens probably doesn't want you to be always nosing around in their daily activities. And there is no need for a 24/7 "security guard" or "body guard" anymore the moment they reached their teenage years. So what's the big deal?

As you raise your children, like everyone else, they need your love. And the amount of time you invest with your kids reveal that they're receiving love from you.

Investing time with your children means that your are using one of your scarcest resources. And I believe that it is worth investing your time with with your kids for a fact that you're building a lifetime relationship, and there will be no regret for doing so. You are in fact, adding value to the lives of your kids. "Spending" time with your kids might not be more enticing, but if you see it as an "investment", you and your teen will find more joy rather than out of obligation in your life.

And you'll be glad you did the right thing. Enjoy your time with your kids.

Happy Birthday to our Nanay Loly

2013-06-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

A Poem For Mom

You are the sunlight in my day,
You are the moon I see far away.
You are the tree I lean upon,
You are the one that makes troubles be gone.
You are the one who taught me life,
How not to fight, and what is right.
You are the words inside my song,
You are my love, my life, my mom.
You are the one who cares for me,
You are the eyes that help me see.
You are the one who knows me best,
When it's time to have fun and time to rest.
You are the one who has helped me to dream,
You hear my heart and you hear my screams.
Afraid of life but looking for love,
I'm blessed for God sent you from above.
You are my friend, my heart, and my soul
You are the greatest friend I know.
You are the words inside my song,
You are my love, my life, my Mom.

by Champagne S. Baker

Happy Birthday, Mom!

We love you so much!

Relinquish Control to God

2013-06-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:1-9

"We make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." (v.9)

When our children were younger, we just have simple plans for their lives, like to simply keep them alive and healthy.

However, as years goes by, our dreams for their lives quickly became bigger.

For example, we would like them to be great leaders, a great athlete, or professional. We wanted them to have the richest experiences, to achieve academic and professional success, to be deeply loved, to live a life of service, to be a devoted husband or wife and father or mother, and to walk with Jesus Christ all of their days.

But we need to be reminded that, although we may have our lofty hopes and expectations for our children, in terms of future career and all, we need to respect our child's personal desires and goals even if they don't line up with ours. And more importantly, we need to encourage our children to seek God's agenda for their lives, rather than pressure them to fulfill our agenda. (Proverbs 16:1).

The following insights can be useful to understand how we can align our goals for our children with God's:

Parents can make plans, but God will determine their children's steps (v.9).
The most foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest plan we could ever conjure up for our children (1 Corinthians 1:25).
Children are God's masterpieces - not ours, and they're created for His purposes (Proverbs 1:4; Ephesians 2:10).

Let us commit our children and their plans to God - knowing that He's the only One who can help them truly succeed (Proverbs 16:3).

Adapted from Our Daily Journey with God (Roxanne Robbins)

Ten Life Laws

2013-03-13T04:53:00.001-07:00

(by Jay McGraw, Life Strategie for Teens)

1. You either get it or you don't. (Be real and figure out what makes you tick.)

2. You create your own experience. (Don't be a victim - reach out for what you want.)

3. People do what works. (You are only addicted if you don't take responsibility.)

4. You cannot change what you do not acknowledge. (Be honest about your faults.)

5. Life rewards action. (You can't earn a thing by sitting around. Get up and work.)

6. There is no reality, only perception. (Our perception determines our outcome.)

7. Life is managed, not cured. (Life isn't easy. Keep it in gear - no coasting.)

8. We teach people how to treat us. (Others believe about you what you do.)

9. There is power in forgiveness. (We must let go of past hurt and offenses.)

10. You have to name it before you can claim it. (Figure out what you really want.)

As parents, we need to ask ourselves: "What will build the character of my kids?" "What will enable them to influence their world?" Will they be influenced by the world or influenced the world? Of course, we wanted our children to be history-makers and world shakers! And we have a great part or role to play in their lives. What a great task and a great opportunity as well!

How to Connect with your kid

2013-03-13T04:40:00.002-07:00

As parents, we wanted to bring out the best in our kids. We want to see them grow in the way that we wanted them to grow and as God intended them to be. We wanted to nurture the "leader" in our children.

One way to do this is to "step" into their "world". Our main objective is not only to understand their generation today, but also to connect with them, right where they are.

Many parents today have the problem of "generation gap". As for my experience, I oftentimes tried to go down the level of my kids, to befriend them. Even trying my best to become their "best friend". I always remind them how we, their parents, loved them and that there is no one, no other person, in the world (except God) who would love them the way we do. I encouraged them to open up to us, ask anything they needed to know especially important issues regarding life and other things not so scary and serious.

Spending a lot of quality time with your kids will really help a lot on this generation gap issue. And when you do this, you will not only gain the trust and friendship of your child, but you also have the opportunity to guide him or her well, and the joy of watching him or her grow (although this could also be a sad part, see our baby then is no longer a baby, he or she has grown up!), but that's one of our responsibilities and joy being a parent. To guide them and to mold them in the way they should be is really challenging, full of tears and laughter.

Teach your kids how to have a business

2013-02-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Teaching your kids how to earn money or to have a business to have an income at an early age would be very beneficial to them in the long run.

Just a few weeks ago, one of our children had a project requirements on one of their projects at school. Using the internet and the computer, we come up with the said project and my daughter had open up the idea of sharing her project with her classmates and giving them access on the computer and the net and have each of them printed their projects at a minimum cost.

She put the amount that she collected in her piggy bank to be deposited in her bank account that we have opened for them, along with her brother and sister.

In this way, we are teaching our children how to become entrepreneurial and to have income even at an early age.

There are still other opportunities to earn even minimal amount for the children if we are just a keen observer and open minded for opportunities that come our way. Remember, in every problem is an opportunity for you to earn.

Treat Each Child Accordingly

2013-01-16T05:41:00.001-08:00

We have three kids and we expect three different attitudes from each one. For we know for sure that God created each individual unique, no two different people are exactly alike, even twins!

So, from our eldest, the middle child and the youngest, we treat them differently and accordingly. Of course, I emphasize that the love we have for the three of them is the same. But the treatment would be different at times. As of this moment, we are still on the process of evaluating each of our child's characteristics, attitudes, interests, moods, skills, favorites and a lot more things to consider.

With this, we could really say we need a lot of patience and much, much lot of grace from the Lord.

One of the important things to do that I've learned from one of my trusted mentors is that to bless each one of my kids especially when they are already asleep. Bless them the way our forefathers of old bless their children. We should really avoid using words that discourage or in a way "curse" our children. We must remember the "power of words". Because through this, I believed that it has a great impact on the way our kids will grow. Besides, people (and even our children) really behave (and grow) the way you expect them to be.

How to gain your child's trust

2013-01-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

During childhood, it is but natural for a child to trust his or her parents.

But as they grow and continue to relate with you as parents, there are times that they thought that they could no longer trust you. The level of trust began to go down.

As I have experienced, one of the best ways to let your children fully trust you is you must keep your promises. I believed that promises are not made to be broken but to be fulfilled. Although we should also be more tactful and careful for whatever promises we made our children. We must never make promises we could not do and in the end we regret. As the scriptures says, "let your yes be yes, and your no be no."

Besides, simple promises we made our children and keeping them will really make them to trust us. And the other side is that when we say to them or request something from them, being also a friend to them, they will readily listen and obey. That would be truly a wonderful thing!

Do you want a fish or do you want to know how to fish?

2012-12-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

Where do I go from here?

Suppose you are on a deserted island, practically starving to death. You have just about given up all hope when, finally, a man brings you a fish to eat. The next day you are hungry again, so the man has to give you another fish. You become dependent on someone else for your food.

That is the way so many Christians are today. They depend on others to feed them spiritually. Many teachers will present to you baked fish, fried fish, broiled fish, fish salad, and everything else, but they may never teach you how to fish for yourself.

If you have already been taught how to FISH for yourself, You won’t have to be dependent on and wait for others to spoon-feed you. You will still need to learn from those with more experience, but you can begin to feed yourself.

“. . . from everyone who has been give much shall MUCH be required. . .”

Luke 12:48, NAS

Teach your children how to be thankful in everything

2012-12-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

One of the best attitude to teach and mold into the character of our children is gratitude.

It is but natural for children to have receive something and then forget to thank the giver, and that would truly hurt the giver! Imagine if you are the giver and doesn't received even a simple thank you.

And worst is, often times, it is but natural for children to complain and grumble in spite of everything!

I often reminded my kids to be really, really, really thankful and grateful in everything, as in EVERYTHING. Even I myself, practice what I am teaching my kids. Every now and then if someone did something, a service of any kind, even store clerk, or a bus driver, or a security guard or policeman, or the mailman, and other kinds of jobs people have, I really never forget to say even a simple, heartfelt "thank you."

In the passage of the Scriptures from 1 Corinthians 10:10 we could read, "And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel." (NIV) What a lesson we could learn from the Israelites and the same lesson we could teach ourselves and our children as well.

So never complain. Never grumble. Never ever murmur. Because every time we receive something, especially if it is a good thing, or sometimes a "not so good" thing, we should have that gratitude attitude.

Let us remember what was written in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Thank you for having the time to read this short but meaningful post.

God bless you, your children and your whole family.

The Closer, The More Painful

2011-11-15T13:36:00.001-08:00

The closer we get with our relationship with our children can also be more painful to us not just physically but also emotionally.

I would say physical pain, for instance, there was a time when we were playing "tickles" with our children we cannot avoid the physical contact that will cause us harm sometimes when we "overplayed".

Many times also when the children would try to be loving towards us like they want to sit on the lap or straddle on the back or above my shoulders, of course, you would know what I mean if you already experienced those happy moments with your kids.

We oftentimes get too attached with our children that we thought and wish they stay as cute as they are, but life in reality is not like that. They really have to grow physically and emotionally. Time will come they will have their own career, their own family, their own life to live.

Although it will hurt us physically and emotionally if we get closer with our children, still it is the best thing to do: to develop deeper relationship with them, to become their "best friend" in life so that whatever questions they have in life, though we don't have all the answers, they are confident to approach us that we could guide them in the right track of making good decisions, if not the best decisions they will ever have to make.

Correct Me As I Deserve

2011-10-23T01:03:00.000-07:00

"Correct me in your as I deserve, but not in your anger, or I will be dead."

Spare the rod and spoil the child. Oftentimes, we parents are in a dilemma when we should discipline our child. We are afraid that they might become angry or mad at us for a long time. But that will not be so, with proper kind of explanation as to why we should give our child a "spank", that is, because he or she did something wrong, it will be understood. And that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

And God properly instructed us to "train a child in the way he should go so that when he is old he will not depart from it. Whatever we taught our child since he or she is just a little kid, he or she will become that kind of person.

A proper way to discipline our child is not in our anger, but rather in love. The way we converse with him or her, telling him or her why we should discipline him. Explaining in proper way. Of course, our children is not in the position to question things we are doing to make them the kind of person we want to be, but I believe they also deserve to understand why. Doing that, we will also gain our child's respect that we also deserve. Just be firm with whatever rules that we have agreed in our home.

If we truly love our children, we will also discipline them in a proper way. In love, and not in anger.

Your Child is Your Best Friend

2011-09-17T05:03:00.000-07:00

Your child should be your best friend and the feeling should be mutual with your child.

Building a friendly relationship with your child is a lifetime process. And this process begins early when your child is still in your womb (as a mother) or in your spouse womb (as a father).

Make it a top priority that you really build a lasting relationship with your kids especially as they grow.

One way to do this is that you should remind your kids that you are their best friend. A place you should both enjoy together is your home not in the neighborhood. Although building relationship with neighbors is also encourage.

Whatever happens in their life, they can be sure that you will always be by their side. Whatever questions they might have, although you don't have all the answers, you are there to listen to them. And whenever they feel discouraged, be an encourager to them. Do whatever it takes to build confidence in your kids and to make your relationship stronger.

Here is an article I would like to share with you from an anonymous author:

My Friend

My friend, I stand in judgment now,

And I feel that you're to blame somehow.

On earth I walked with you day by day,

And never did you point the way.

You knew the Lord in truth and glory

But never did you tell the story,

My knowledge then was very dim;

You could have led me safe to Him.

Though we lived together here on earth,

You never told me of the second birth,

And now I stand this day condemned,

Because you failed to mention Him.

You taught me many things that's true;

I called you friend and I trusted you,

But I learn now, that it's too late,

And you could have kept me from this fate.

We walked by day, and talked by night,

And yet you showed me not the light;

You let me live and love and die,

You knew I'd never live on high.

Yes, I called you "friend" in life

And trusted you through fun and strife.

And yet, on coming to this dreadful end,

I cannot, now, call you "my friend".

Say Sorry To Your Kid is a Great Thing

2011-09-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes as adults, it is very hard for us to say I am sorry, maybe because of our pride. It is even more difficult for most parents to say sorry to their children. Of course, we are still human, and we are also prone to commit mistake even to our children.

One good example is when we are disciplining our kids when they quarrel and we're not sure who started what and so we might end up spanking or disciplining the wrong child. There is nothing wrong to say sorry to your child if you have made the mistake. In fact, it is a magical thing to do and at the same time you are teaching your child the value of being humble.

Children also mostly feel validated when their parents know how to apologize or say sorry for some mistakes that they have done as parents.

And one more thing, when you say sorry to your kid say it like you mean it from your heart. Kids can really feel and detect it if our feelings and expressions are genuine or not.

In the end, your parent-child relationship will grow more stronger.

3 Ways to Protect Your Child Against Diseases

2011-09-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

How Can You Protect Your Child Against Diseases?

Nowadays, there are so many kinds of diseases especially among children because they are the most vulnerable in terms of their health. They still have less resistance against certain germs, bacteria and viruses, although adults are no excuse.

One way to protect your child against disease is to promote healthy and balance diet.

We should continually provide our children with the proper food diet that they need especially as they are growing up. Lots of liquid intake will also do great. Let us remember that 75% of our body is water.

We should also give them more of fruits and vegetables and less of those food with high cholesterol.

Second is physical exercise.

Physical exercise is best for children. These activities can boost their energy and give them higher resistance against certain diseases. Outdoor games and play can be one activity for physical exercise while at the same time enjoying our bonding moments with our kids.

We can also encourage our children to take a walk in going to school. This gives them more stamina and at the same time we can have savings from transportation expenses. What a practical way to protect our children against diseases!

And finally, a healthy lifestyle.

Based on statistics, there are so many Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) that can be acquired because of non-healthy lifestyle such as lack of sleeping hours, substance abuse, eating high fat and high cholesterol food, spending more hours in front of the television (the one we called "stupid box"), and many others.

We can combat this with a healthy lifestyle. Meaning doing the exact opposite of non-healthy lifestyle.

As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure"...It is far more better to spend much on healthy nutrition than having hospital expenses.

Therefore, we should and must do everything we can to protect our children from acquiring or having diseases so that we could enjoy more of our time being with them. Less worries, more of the joyful moments that we desire.

Playtime with your kids is very healthy

2011-09-04T04:14:00.000-07:00

Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) is one of the strategies a parent can employ not only to spend quality time with your kids but at the same time it is a form of a healthy exercise for your kids.

Playtime with your kids is indeed very healthy, both physically and socially when it comes to your relationship with your children.

There are many thing we could do as parents during playtime with our kids, we just need to be creative. Just recently we played a simple tag game in our front yard. Other things that we could do during our playtime with our kids is to play hide and seek, badminton, baseball or even a simple catch game would do during our playtime.

During the said playtime outside, we are really exercising our physical body thus it has a good effect for us. Well, just a caution though, that we should be careful not to hurt ourselves or our kids. Safety is always our best concern.

As I mentioned, this could also be in effect help our relationship with our kids grow and at the same time by getting to know them better, we are also teaching them values like courage, self-confidence, sportsmanship and fair play.

So, why not use your playtime with your kids to benefit both physically and socially.

Have fun playing with your kids!

When Is The Right Time To Allow My Kids To Go On A Date

2011-08-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Every teenager will come to a point in their lives that they will admire someone of the opposite sex (although for some, of the same sex) and for most parents it is this time that they will begin to worry and have fears although they already knew where this would lead to.

First, admiration, crushes, until asking permission to go on a date.

When is the right time to allow your kids to go on a date? At what age?

Well, I'd probably say it depends on every parent because when we allow our children to go on a date, first we are to evaluate whether they are responsible enough to get into and handle a relationship. We are at the same time conveying a message for them that we trust them when we could see that they are responsible enough.

It is also part of their growing up and to learn how to socialize with other people, especially of the opposite sex. We as parents though, could set some limitations and rules when our kids are ready to go on a date. Until what time, for example, that they'd be allowed. Should they go with a chaperon or on better still on a group date? And most especially, what are their plans for their date? These things and many others are to be carefully agreed upon. But in the long run, our children still need our guidance as they grow up and especially in their relationship with their peers.

One of the best gifts you can give to your kids is your time

2011-08-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

A Solid Investment for your child is Your Time!

Almost every parents is faced with questions from their children that needs answers, from simple questions to complex ones. Although many times we are so engrossed with our daily activities and responsibilities that we sometimes take for granted the time we should have with our children.

Spending time with your children can be sometimes annoying but in the long run we can consider it the best investments we could have for them. You are giving a great head start for your child if you always take time to answer his or her questions and at the same time strengthen your bonding relationship.

A child's simple questions about the things in his or her surroundings must be answered relative to his age and interest span. We could also use this opportunity to motivate them towards good habits that we want them to form.

You are capitalizing on spiritual truths as you take time to answer a child's questions and he or she will really learn the value of appreciation you have shown him or her.

And finally, as we spend time with our children at play we teach them sportsmanship and other good values as we play with them. Family recreation is a great activity, spending time together whether indoors or outdoors.

Teaching values to our children: always goes around by the examples that we set, by our attitudes, and by our words.

How To Teach Our Children Moral Values

2011-08-29T01:14:00.000-07:00

We parents teach our children in three ways:

First, and perhaps the most basic, is by our example; we should live and show our children without a double standard of morality - one is that what we talk about and want other people to adhere to, and another which we think is okay for ourselves. How can a child have a clear standards of what is right and wrong?

Second, we teach by our attitudes, which develop emotional responses in our children; it is one of the major factors that influence our child's behavior in the long run. As it is said: "your attitude will determine your altitude."

Just one caution: Attitudes Are Contagious! Everyday of your life your attitude are shaping and molding the character of your child.

Third, we teach them by our words. You can encourage your children to be the kind of persons you want them to become. First, take advantage of your child's questions. "Daddy, why does the butterfly come out of a cocoon? Mommy, how come Uncle Jim went away to Heaven? Daddy, why do I have to brush my teeth?" We don't need to create stories or to tell lies, just plain and simple but straightforward answers would really do.