Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.Psalm 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord; children a reward from Him.
101 Tips to Become a Better Christian Mom
1. Smile more. Believe it or not our children need smiles from us…not scowls!
2. Make eye contact when communicating with them.
3. Read to them. Even when they get older, read Scriptures out loud. Even older children like this.
4. Do devotions together…age appropriate, of course.
5. Do a project together. This can be arts and crafts or a school project.
6. Help them with their homework.
7. Cook or bake with them.
8. Create family traditions. They not only help bring the family together, they also provide stability and opportunity to keep the family together.
9. Listen more.
10. Ask more.
11. If you are married, honor your husband. This is vital for your children to see. Strive to be a better wife and pray for ways to improve your marital relationship.
12. Pray with them.
13. Pray for them.
14. Get silly.
15. Laugh at yourself.
16. Go to the movies together and see what they want. (morally and age appropriate)
17. Have a girls night. (Moms of daughters)
18. Have a date night. (Moms to sons)
19. Try new things and activities together.
20. Play with them.
21. Have a tickle fest. You are never to old to be tickled!
22. Say ” I love you” often. Do not assume they know. SAY it. A LOT.
23. Speak positive words over them and to them.
24. Criticize less.
25. Live by example.
26. Read the Bible to them and in front of them. They need to SEE you have a personal walk with Jesus. They will only do what they have learned.
27. Take lots of pictures. They love to look at old pictures and see the memories and ways you took the time to capture the moments.
28. Scrapbook their lives.
29. Attend their important event and activities. It means a lot when you are in the stands cheering them on!
30. Write them a love letter.
31. Make their favorite dinner for no reason.
32. Cheer for them. We need to be their biggest fans in life. Make sure they KNOW it!
33. Encourage them.
34. Hug them.
35. Kiss them.
36. Put little “thinking of you” notes in their lunch box.
37. Leave a special prize where they are sure to find it when doing their chores or other activity.
38. Allow them to mess up.
39. Forgive them.
40. Apply 38 and 39 to yourself as well. You will never be perfect. There are NO such things as perfect Mothers!
41. Encourage open communication. They need to know they can talk to you and share without fear of your reaction.
42. Let them be individuals. Do not try to live your dreams through them. LET THEM BE THEM!
43. Dream with them.
44. Encourage them to go after their dreams.
45. Be consistent in discipline.
46. Hold them accountable.
47. Reward them for a job well done.
48. Dedicate a song to them on the radio.
49. Compliment them often. We are responsible for teaching them good self esteem.
50. Bring them to church.
51. Get them involved in church.
52. Encourage a life of excellence. Teach them to do well and not settle for mediocre.
53. Teach them to appreciate learning and the importance of a good education.
54. Encourage creativity.
55. Tell the truth. If they hear you lie or you lie to them…they will lie.
56. Expect honesty from them.
57. Teach them the importance of Scripture memorization.
58. Apologize when you mess up. They deserve an apology when needed.
59. Support them.
60. Accept them.
61. Know their friends and parents of friends.
62. Keep track of what they do and who they are with.
63. Nurture their relationship with their dads. It is important that our kids have a relationship with their dad that is separate from ours.
64. Go on trips and vacations as a family…big and small.
65. Have family fun nights.
66. Make them feel special all year long…not just on special occasions.
67. Provide boundaries.
68. Encourage them to have personal boundaries.
69. Follow through.
70. Give them chores. Our daughters need to learn how to be good wives and our sons need to learn how to be helpful husbands.
71. Respect their privacy. (Unless you feel they are in danger)
72. Give them age appropriate responsibilities.
73. Teach them how to resolve conflict.
74. Spend time with them one on one…this is especially important with multiple children.
75. Help them develop a spiritual life.
76. Put them in a youth group at church.
77. Never take ANY church activity away from them as a form of punishment for bad behavior. Even if it is a fun event. It is still with their Christian peers and leaders. They may get convicted and/or it will allow God to work on their hearts. They NEED church.
78. Volunteer as a family.
79. Encourage giving.
80. Learn their love language and love them accordingly.
81. Lighten up!
82. Make a family time capsule and put a time limit on it of about 5 years…that is long enough…you want them still home when you open it! Talk about it…laugh and remember. Great bonding experience.
83. Prioritize them. They need to be a top priority in your life. First comes God (not ministry…relationship)…then husband (if married), then they are next. They need to see they are important…BUT…if married they also need to see that you are lined up Biblically and united with husband.
84. Do not give them everything they want. That can be very dangerous.
85. Teach them to be thankful for what they have.
86. Teach them good work ethics. Encourage hard work.
87. Involve them.
88. Teach moral values. Use the Word of God as your standard…not the world.
89. Pray for their friendships and future spouse.
90. Teach them good hygiene. LOL! Yes…I think it is important!
91. Promote healthy eating and fitness.
92. Yell less.
93. Say “thank you” more.
94. Never take them for granted.
95. Cherish them and your moments together…you only get so many.
96. Pick them up when they fall.
97. Let them vent.
98. Love them unconditionally.
99. Be available when they need you.
100. Limit media influence. The world we live in is a mess. Be vigilant in what you allow into their eyes, ears and hearts. (From Simply Blessed: We do not have TV in our house and if we want to see a movie, we read a thorough review at http://www.pluggedin.com/ by Focus on The Family.)
101. Repeat 1-100 as often as possible!
-Lara Velez, Moms of Faith
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