Engaging and Talking with Your Children

I have two daughters, 14 and 8. I have always felt that I have a great open and honest relationship with them both. We as parents want our children to feel that they can come to us and talk to us about anything. I have been fortunate as a parent that with my job I am home most of the time when they come home from school, which gives me an opportunity to talk to each of my children and see how their day was and how they are doing and engage in conversation with them.

I know what some of you may be thinking: my child wouldn’t want to have those kinds of conversations with me or some of it may be awkward and I may not know how to respond. What I can tell you from my personal experience is that just let the conversation happen and see where it leads. You may not have an answer immediately but pray on it and you’ll get the answer or response. Here are a few tips:

–Be open and honest with them as well.

–Sometimes all they are looking for is for us to listen.

–Don’t be judgmental. (They are kids that need our biblical guidance.)

Talking with my daughters is all about having trust with them. It has also helped to establish boundaries with certain things.  God wants us to have open and honest conversations with him, just like he does our kids. Through our relationship with God, he will guide us with the knowledge and what to say. We have our best resource he has given us, the Bible. The Bible has all the answers we need.

“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” Proverbs 22:6

Dear Heavenly Father,

I want to thank you for my child/children. They are a precious gift to me. Help me to give the guidance and knowledge that they need. Thank you for the gift of conversation with my children.

In your name we pray…Amen.

Contributed by Carrie Guthmiller