Practical Parenting Tips for Teaching Significance: Part 2

Aug 7, 2013 by Jim and Jerolyn Bogear

Parenting is probably the hardest job you will ever have. So why not take some ideas from others to help you do your best at it? Instilling values in our children gives them a foundation to grow into healthy, productive adults. Without values, they can easily be drawn into a secular worldview that will lead them down many wrong paths.

Significance is the sixth value that our family has adopted to help us live lives that leave a legacy for those who come behind us. If you didn’t get to read the first list of tips we gave, you can check out Tuesday’s post.

Here is the second half:  

All Ages:

• Post funny notes around the house.
• With erasable markers, draw pictures on your children’s bathroom mirror. When they stumble into the bathroom in the morning, they will smile.
• Watch a DVD of a wholesome comedy or stand up comedian. They provide wonderful, hilarious family entertainment so we can laugh together. Our kids extend the joy by repeating the jokes over and over.

Ages 2-5:

• Read voraciously to them. Take them to the library.
• Establish tickle time.

Ages 6-10:

• Be goofy with your kids. Have fun.
• Encourage your children to do their lessons not for grades, but to make them a better person.

Ages 11-17:

• At this age, your kids will laugh at you more than with you. Laugh, too.
• Ask your kids about who they are influencing and how.
• Hug your teenager and never be the first one to release the hug.

Parents:

• Help them learn in all areas of life — formally and informally.

Instead of striving for success, live lives of significance. Then you will have been successful.

What ideas do you have to instill significance in our children? Leave a comment.

~Jim and Jerolyn