31 Beads

Be the weird parent!

Hey Mamas,

I want to remind you that YOU were created for such a time as this! ‘Mom-ing’ is not for the faint of heart, so keep going and keep growing one day at a time. You aren’t perfect and you won’t achieve perfection, but YOU are the mama that YOUR child needs. So when necessary go against the flow and be the weird mama! I’m cheering you on!

Don’t settle for today’s standard of behavior from your child, because quite frankly, it’s pathetically low. Gently and consistently correct the little nagging things, the rude behaviors, and selfish actions. Protect your boys and girls at all cost from the ‘trash our world throws at them daily. Combat the lies of the enemy with words of truth and intentionally lead your children towards God’s wonderful design for their lives: purity, courage, compassion, gentleness, holiness.

Teach them grace by reminding them a million times over that when they mess up, they can come to you! They can get up and start again.

Don’t let technology dull their minds, steal their adventure, or rob them of their innocence. If your child spends too much time behind the screen – do something about it! Steer them towards creativity. Give them lots of opportunity to use their imagination.

Don’t wait until they are old enough to start dating to teach them to respect the opposite sex. Begin to teach them by example while they are little. And don’t let them learn about sex through their school friends. Be proactive and make sure they hear it from you first! When they ask those questions be ready to give them honest and clear answers. Make sure that they understand that sex is a gift of intimacy designed by God to be enjoyed between husband and wife – it’s not bad or dirty! I guarantee their school friends will leave out these important details. (I’ll share more tips on some great ways to approach this topic in a future article).

Teach your boys how ‘cool’ it is to be a gentleman. Teach him basic manners. Remind him that the world doesn’t revolve around him by involving him in washing the dishes, cooking, and laundry (when applied this tidbit might win you “best mother-in-law of the universe award” one day)!

Let him go outside and get as dirty as he wants! Let him take things apart and build them back again. Remind Him that he is a warrior of the Lord, and God has big plans for his life. Tell him over and over again that he is strong, handsome, brave, kind, and that you are so so proud to be his mama. Teach him that following Jesus is the most courageous thing he could ever do and that it takes guts to be different.

Teach your girls that they are warriors too! They are strong, capable, intelligent all wrapped up in a beautiful package of compassion, mercy, and gentleness.

Teach them to nurture. Teach them work ethic. Steer them away from gossip. Teach them to be real and genuine (of course this is taught by example). So moms … be yourselves! Be real, be honest, and apologize when you should. Remind her that she is a daughter of God, called to serve him by serving with gladness those around her. Teach her that Jesus is everything and that if she ever finds herself feeling alone, she isn’t. He is her closest and most intimate friend.

One last really important tid bit of info: Your teenager needs you involved in their lives, so don’t back off parenting when your child turns 13 or 14 and starts to get a little distant. This is not the time to sit back and see what happens. They need you now more than ever. They need your friendship and your wisdom. They need you to really listen to their stories. They need you to put your phone down, to go to the store with them, to turn up the radio in the car and sing your guts out, and to have the hard conversations. Say no firmly when necessary, but say yes as much as possible! You aren’t finished parenting your teens. Invest in them. You’ll never regret it.

Wow, how could we possibly do all of this? Here’s the thing, you aren’t going to get it all right all the time. Just be true and genuine. Don’t try and hide your mistakes, own them and apologize. They’ll get the picture – “my mom isn’t perfect BUT she sure does love Jesus and me more than anything”. Yes, tell them about Jesus, but talk to Jesus even more than you talk about him. He hears the cries of your heart and Jesus loves your babies even more than you do!