Discover Ideas from other Parents
Deuteronomy 6:7 (NIV)
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Keep in mind, we are not licensed counselors, and the ideas shared should not be considered as professional advice. We are parents just like you. If you think an idea might work for your family, give it a try. If it works, then great. If not, try changing it a bit, or try a different idea.
We save the Christmas cards we receive and post one each week on the fridge. It is a reminder to pray for each family member or friend throughout the year as we walk past the fridge. For those the kids don't know (like past coworkers or friends from our youth), it is good to explain how those friends were a blessing.
Prov. 27:10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your family... - C.P.~~~~~
"It's so important (especially these days), to make sure your child's identity is found in God. To further that and to serve as a "rite of passage", we held what we called a Blessing Dinner for our teens when they graduated high school. We invited family and close friends and prayed over our kiddos and encouraged them with words of affirmation and what everyone loved about them. It was a meaningful way to "send them off" into the next phase of their life."
- K.L.~~~~~
"Teen years can be alot of change and roller coaster rides relationally. Being able to pray with our kids and know that God was greater than all of us or what they were dealing with was and is a blessing to be able to actively lean on the Lord with them."
- S.L.~~~~~
"I called my 4 yr old daughter to me and held her face in my hands. I told her she was valuable, precious and loved by God and me. And I was glad she was mine. The next day, she came to me and asked me to hold her face again!"
- M.P.~~~~~
"We try to eat dinner together as often as possible. When we do, we always share highs and lows from the day. But we like to call them "praise and prayers"."
- M.D.~~~~~
"We get handouts from Kids Church when we pick our kids up every Sunday. We use it for our family to learn the weekly memory verse."
- P.B.~~~~~
"We started this when our kids were much younger, but now they do it without any propmting from us. Whenever we hear an emergency vehicle, we pray for those responding and for those needing their help. I love to see their compassion for others growing."
- N.R.~~~~~
"Our elementary kids love playing 'Would You Rather' on road trips. It used to be challenging to mix Jesus into the question, but now our kids almost always compare their answer to what Jesus would rather."
- M.N.~~~~~
"We've started parking a couple blocks from school and walking the rest of the way every morning. We talk more when we are walking, and we are starting to pray as we walk too. It's amazing how peacful our mornings are now."
- S.P.~~~~~
"Each night before bed we sit as a family and read a kids devotion together. We ask questions about what they think from the devotion or we point out things that they are learning and growing in. We then do prayer time and encourage each of them to pray about something or someone before we pray. We remind them that their prayers are important and Jesus hears each one. This helps build their confidence in prayer and in their talking to God."
- G.P.~~~~~
"I pray for my girls every night when they lie down in bed. This is such a pattern and habit, they will not go to bed without me doing so! When I travel for work I facetime them at bedtime. They feel secure knowing dad always prays for them at bedtime."
- N.M.~~~~~
"At bed time, after books are read, and everyone is tucked in, we ask each child a couple of math word problems. They often race to get tucked in the fastest to see who gets their math question first. Then we pray, sing Jesus Loves Me, and the Doxology. Their little voices worshiping is the best. We have Psalm 91, prayer of protection laminated on the wall by the door. We often recite it over them as the drift off to sleep."
- R.R.~~~~~
"We repeat nightly confessions: "I am blessed," "I have favor," "I am peaceful," "I am full of joy," "I'm strong in the Lord." We let the girls add new confessions when they find something in the Bible they like, or when they need help, like, "I am patient"."
- M.N.~~~~~
"We all take turns praying. First, we thank God for being who He is. Then we pray for someone else. Then on the final round, we pray for ourselves. This keeps our prayer time fresh and helps us think of others before ourselves."
- G.I.~~~~~
"We have created a 'Thank You God' list on the back of my sons door. When we say our nighttime prayers, I ask him if there is anything he wants to thank God for. His favorite ones get written on a page on the back of his door. When he is having a rough day, we encourage him to "go read his door". It never fails to change his mood."
- N.O.~~~~~
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"Since my girls were little, I've woke them up singing a little tune about loving them and Jesus. It still makes them smile. I hope they never outgrow it."
- S.G.~~~~~
"On the way to school, we pray for their teachers, friends, and classmates. Waiting in line doesnt seem so long now."
- M.B.~~~~~
"I started meeting my high school son at the door as he was heading out to school, just to hug him and say a quick prayer. Initially, he acted like it was a major inconvience, but now he comes down the stairs and announces he is ready to pray. We only take 5 minutes, but it is a quality 5 minutes."
- D.B.~~~~~