Top Ten Parenting Tips

Some of these I have learned on my own, some are from the bible, my mom and my mentors.

1. Put your kids to bed! One of the biggest factors in a child's behavior is lack of sleep.  Children need 10 - 14 hours of sleep each 24 hour period. Give a child a consistent bedtime and give them enough time to sleep. Give younger kids a nap everyday. I promise, this will help improve their behavior!

2. Never name your child Grace. Not even the middle name! It is a self fulfilling prophecy that means you will need more grace for that child! Don't believe me? ask anyone who has a child named Grace!

3. Let your yes be yes and no be no. If you say it, mean it. If you threaten it, do it. It sounds simple, but I know it's hard. You are a parent now and can't afford to be too tired or too busy to follow through. Just think of it this way, you can either deal with it when they are 2 or 3 or you can deal with it when they are teenagers. I am not saying that if you are consistent when they are young, they will be perfect as teenagers, but if your kids know that you mean what you say, your word will go alot further when they are teenagers.

4. Yes, it is more important to play Barbie, hide and seek or star wars than to have a clean house. Your child and your friends don't care if your house isn't perfect. Your child won't even remember! But they will remember that you built a tent out of sheets in their bedroom or that you use to hide in the closet for hide and seek. I don't think you have to be your child's only playmate, but I do think parents should play, really play with their children everyday.

5. I think it is more important to have family time together than to be in a sport or other activity. If your family doesn't have at least 3 or 4 meals a week together, you or your kids are probably over scheduled.

6. The single most important gift you can give your child is an excellent relationship with Christ. Be a witness for Christ to your children by having a vibrant active relationship with Him!

7. The second most important gift you can give your child is to have an excellent relationship with your child's other parent. If you are married to them, love them with everything in you! Wake up every morning thinking about how you can out serve and show love to your spouse today. If you are not married to your child's other parent, never, never, NEVER speak badly of them! respect them and keep the lines of communication open with them. It is no longer about you, it is about raising your kids.

8. Teach your children how to handle failure, disappointment and injustice by handling it well when it happens to you. Own up to your mistakes. Sometimes, it really is your fault, not the circumstance or someone else's fault.

9. Allow your children's grandparents to spoil them. Everyone should have someone in their life that thinks they can do no wrong. It may take some "detoxing" once the child comes back home after a stay with the grandparents, but I think that is a small price to pay for the benefit of having another group of people that pour love into your child. Take it from someone who grew up without grandparents! It is an amazing gift.

10. PRAY specific, bold extraordinary prayers for your children everyday. God has great plans for them! Put them in His hands everyday.