Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (Toddler Version)

It’s been 5 years, 2 babies in heaven, 2 on earth, 10-15 parenting/marriage/Christ centered books, over a 1000 prayers and podcasts since then and it seems like although the requirement from God had always been the same yet somehow gotten clearer to us over time.

It is clear that God requires intentionality from us as parents and over the past 3 years, we have grown to know our personal parenting struggles, children’s changing needs and God’s Word better. This is all a start to a journey that will only end with our final breath. Here are a few ways in which we have been intentional in helping our children grow in character using God’s Word(and in return, we have been getting sanctified too!)

When my daughter was around a year old, I started reading “When God made you” by Mathew Paul Turner to her. We made this into a rap song version and sang it together eliminating a few words and stressing on others. We personalized it and added the drums to end the ‘song’ on ‘love one another'(with a hand gesture and head nod). The next morning, we did John 15:12 as our new memory verse.

Application: A big part of explaining and applying God’s word with littles, in my experience, comes with contextual understanding. So, for a short few weeks, every morning as we ate breakfast, we spoke about how Jesus loves us; ‘first you….then me’ was the phrase that stuck. We used this EVERYWHERE; sharing food, taking turns with toys, offering desserts, everything…How does Jesus love us? First you, then me. (God alone knew this little exercise would continue to grow me in sacrificial service too!)

I had heard this phrase in reference to sibling relationships first on a Ginger Hubbard podcast when I was pregnant with my second born.

I knew I wanted to cultivate this relationship dynamic early on, so I scribbled it onto a colourful piece of paper and stuck it on my soft board to remind myself of it when the time comes.

Application- Through conversations, games and thought provoking questions we are gradually establishing this relationship between the 2 girls.  ‘Follow the leader’ is a popular game  in our home and my older daughter, Ahna, is taught by training and observation how to protect the younger. This game also offers several opportunities to develop an understanding of what leadership looks like in everyday interactions.

We use a Ginger hubbard chart for parenting which has biblical guidelines on helping the child develop self control even in their speech. When Ahna as a 1.5 year old started whining, I would ask her(after training her), ‘Can you try that again with self control in your voice?’ and she would reframe her want/need and I would only then meet it. She was taught that God wants us to communicate with self control. When I introduced the verse, concept and requirement to her we spent a few weeks with me modelling the correct tone and phrasing to respond when caught demonstrating impatience or frustration in tone. It would not be uncommon to hear me think out loud at home as a means of training the littles (and correcting myself in a more humble way) “Uh-oh! Mumma did not use self control in her voice. God wants me to communicate in a better way with self control. Let me try that again”. and I would repeat it in a controlled tone and volume.

Application: As my second born, Hope, started crawling and moving everywhere ‘destroying’ the older ones’ games, it was time for some peaceful and considerate playtime training. We memorised this verse together and started a sibling unity project where the older would devote 10-15 minutes a day playing with the little by following the littles lead completely. This has now turned into a way they naturally play when left alone with a fun sensory bin. The older still has a sense of protection even then. These intentional efforts to lead the babies back to God’s Word in everyday life has helped us start a new play culture and each time a power struggle would break out, we would refer back to these verses in conversations.

Application: We tried hard and in vain to shield Ahna from the selfish concept in the word ‘mine’. So we grew the phrase to..’mine to? Share’ As a 1 year old who was learning to put words together to make sentences, this was such a welcome challenge to her, and it also had an impact of helping her share her toys more easily once she was reminded to do it in a gentle(minus the power struggle) way. Every time she would use the word ‘mine’ in the heat of the moment while at play, I would be careful and attentive to add “yours to?” and she would complete it with “share…”.. sometimes I’d have to add cheerfully, and you get to share it with xyz! to add a little more encouragement to share.

This was a simple phrase we referred to which would take her thoughts back to the prolonged instructional time we had spent in conversation about how Jesus would want us to share the things He gives us and she would be encouraged to behave in this manner.

Dear parent,

A successful Christian parent is not someone with the perfect kid(by that logic, God Himself would not be the perfect parent but we know He is). However, as a Christian your obedience to God’s call to parent your children in His ways is a measure of your success and this parenting must be diligent. What are some ways in which you can help your child hide God’s Word in their hearts this year?