Got this in my email inbox this morning and I’m thinking it’s not a bad idea…my kids are constantly bickering with each other even while doing chores together…so instead of cleaning the kitchen together…it becomes a screaming match about how things are getting done…and who’s way is the right way…maybe doing something like this will help teach them what is really important about chores, about helping and about servanthood…I’m sure they will still fight and argue (especially about the fact that they have to be a servant alone) but maybe their hearts will start to change a little…
Parenting Tip
November 16, 2009
Servant For The Day
Children often compete with each other in order to be first or best. This tendency on the part of children comes from selfishness, a major roadblock to sibling harmony. The solution is to learn how to be a servant, but how do you convince a five-year-old or a twelve-year-old that being a servant is a valuable thing?
As parents we have to look for positive ways to frame the maturity issues that we know are best, but seem unreasonable to our children. In this case, you might try having a “Servant for the Day.” This child not only sets the table and takes out the trash but also gets some extra “Mommy time,” helps with dinner, and sits next to Dad during story time. Throughout the course of the day, Mom has an opportunity to talk about more subtle aspects of servanthood that involve how children talk, listen, and even think.
Take time to praise demonstrations of servanthood. One child may not get the first turn or the biggest piece, but he gets the praise of Mom for being the mature one. That’s a far more valuable reward.
Teaching children to be servants will promote harmony in your family. Becoming a servant will help children deal with the continual desire to build themselves up while putting others down. Learning servanthood is a way to honor others in the family and it brings honor back as well.
Who demonstrated servanthood recently in your family? How can you point that out and encourage it today?
For more practical ideas on developing honor in your family consider the book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, in You and Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.
If this tip was sent to you by a friend and you’d like to continue to receive tips yourself, you can sign up at http://www.biblicalparenting.org.
Today my 5 year old shows me this picture and says “Mommy, this is Jesus in my heart!” I told her it was beautiful and gave her a hug, and tried not to let her see me cry. Now, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t understand a lot of deep theological stuff…and she might have a hard time understanding the Trinity…but she know enough to know where Jesus needs to be…and if you think about it…that simple understanding is what the unbelieving world needs to know…THAT is what we need to share with them…because once people know that…well, to put it in the words of my 5 year old…”It will make your heart very happy!”
anyhoo... 