Like most parents, I have those moments when guilt and repentance hit me like a wave, so I think about the time I spent as a parent and how little I have left. My eldest son is thirteen years old. He’s already a teenager, he’s only got a year before high school, just eight years before I left home to get married, my daughters follow him closely. When this wave goes up, when I feel like I might drown in all this sadness, I sometimes consider those things I’ll never regret.
Here are 18 things I know I won’t regret doing with my kids.
- 1.
- Pray with them for them.
- It baffles me that one of the things that intimidates me the most is praying with my children.
- I’m not talking about praying with the whole family before or after a meal.
- But praying with my daughter for my daughter or son for my son.
- However.
- This type of prayer allows them to realize that I care about them and allows us to join in prayer for these same things.
- I know that I have to prioritize this because I will never regret praying with them for them.
2. Read books for them. When summer turns into autumn, when days get shorter and nights get cold, we spend many of our nights together in the living room, while reading books aloud. We read about our journey through this world, and for many others we read about. the future in history and the days that have passed; We know heroes and bad guys, and we all live it together as a family. I’ll never regret reading books to my children.
3. Kiss me good night. Days go by and I’m so tired, by the time the kids go to bed, sometimes I’m so exhausted that the last thing I want to do is see them in bed and wish them good night, but I’m always happy to do so and I often find this moment where children are more open, more eager to talk, and more eager to listen. I know I will never regret all those goodnight kisses.
I know I’ll never regret all those good-night kisses
4. Take them to church. There is so much joy in being together in church as there as there is a family, worshipping the Lord together, and hearing about Him in His Word together. I don’t take my children to church to learn good manners or be better people. to the church so that they know who they are, so that they can learn who God is and so that they can find and experience grace. I’ll never regret prioritizing the church.
5. Take them to breakfast. A much-loved tradition in our family is to take my children to breakfast on Saturday morning, one of them a week. It’s a tradition I lost, but it came back, I lost it again and it came back, it’s a tradition to maintain. Spending $10 or $20 and the time it takes is nothing compared to investing in their lives. I’ll never regret our breakfasts with Dad.
6. Let my friends be your friends. I love it when my kids become friends and make friends with my friends. I want my children to have older, wiser friends and friends who can help them in areas where I’m weak. I’ll never regret encouraging my friends to be friends with them. .
7. Make family devotions. Family devotion is a discipline that is difficult to maintain, especially as children grow up and have more duties and responsibilities. But can we commit, recommit and persevere, because these are precious moments?a few minutes together to read the Bible, talk about what we hear, and pray. I know I will never regret a single moment of seeking the Lord together.
8. I hate to discipline my children, I hate to discipline them, but I absolutely believe that refusing to discipline them is refusing to love and respect them. Is the privilege revoked, the conversation lasts, the time alone in your room?these things are considered hate for now, but then they look like love. I will never regret discipeding my children with love.
9. Do special things. Much of life is lived in everyday situations and love is often shown daily. But there’s also value in the afternoon game, the ballet night, the trips with Dad. I will never regret doing these special things with my children.
10. Apologize. I find it harder to apologize to my children than anyone else. Somewhere in my mind, I am convinced that apologizing to them is revealing a weakness; but, in my best moments, can I ask them for forgiveness, ask forgiveness when I have sinned against them?is to honor God and them, I will never regret those moments when I have already asked them for forgiveness.
11. Pardonnez-leur. Ma great weakness is one of my children’s greatest strengths. When they sin, they almost always seek my forgiveness quickly. I will never sincerely repent and will not immediately grant the forgiveness you ask of me.
12. Love your mother. I know that the stability of a firmly committed mother and father brings stability to the whole family, I can love my children by assuring them of my love for their mother through my words, my works, and my affection. I never regret regularly reaffirming my love for your mother.
13. Identifying God’s grace. As my children profess their faith and begin to grow in piety, it was a joy to see God’s grace in their lives. I am learning to tell you what I am observing, to congratulate you on that and to designate you. The one who’s done it all. I know I’ll never regret having identified this kind of grace in their lives.
14. Express your affection. I like to go with my daughters and I like to hug my son before I go to school, this physical affection makes them feel safe and loved by teaching them appropriate and platonic limits and touches, I will never regret continually expressing their physical affection.
15. Expect small surprises. The occasional little gifts when I get home from a conference, a rose for my daughters as I buy a bouquet of flowers for Mom, a dinner at McDonalds for no particular reason. I will never regret planning and executing these special little surprises.
16. Give them my full attention. I almost always have an electronic device handy and I often have two or three. It’s easy to interrupt a conversation with every buzz or beep, break eye contact and lose focus. I know I will never regret paying all my attention to my children when they have something to say.
17. Leading to the Gospel. The Gospel is not only a gateway to The Christian life, but the very source of hope and joy in the Christian life. We must continually return to the gospel, we need the gospel every day, and I will never regret guiding my children to the gospel.
18. Tell them “I love you”. I love my children deeply and can show this love in all the ways I’ve listed above, but when they go to school, when they go out with friends, when they call me from the office, when we use Skype remotely, I never will. I’m sorry I said, “I love you. “