Child Training Tuesday

How much time do you think our Heavenly Father spends refining our character each day? Here in this house with two strong and charging young boys, I know it is a constant process. Let's stop and consider: What is it in my life that causes me to feel that God is refining my character? Do I know what God's character looks like? Do I desire to be imitating His character in my daily life?

I am in the mission field of training two young boys into the righteousness of the Lord. So, I thought it would be fun to have Child Training Tuesday~ Each week I will post new aspects of training our child's character, which inevitably will also train our own!

A dear friend and mentor shared two great books with me that I will be using as references for some of the information shared here on Child Training Tuesday. If you are interested in ordering the books, they can be found at amazon.com/books.

What Every Child Should Know Along the Way (Gail Martin)
A Child's Book of Character Building: Book 1 (Ages 3-7) (Ron and Rebekah Coriell)

Investing time into building your child's character is a big commitment, but I feel that is one of the most significant things I can do for my sons. Some days we play and bake quite a bit and the method of formal training doesn't really happen. But I am still given many opportunities to train their character~sweet teachable moments.

Character Training:

Attentive: Listening with my eyes, my ears and my heart.
Proverbs 4:20-21 "My son, give attention to my words. Incline your ear to my sayings, do not let them depart from your sight."

Obedience: Doing what I am asked to do with a happy & submissive heart.
Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

Each morning we start school with prayer, pledge and music. Then we come to the table for character training. My boys stand in "listening stance" (like a soldier) and I ask them one at a time, "What is attentive?" They answer by stating what is written above. My (almost) three year old, does need some help, so I have invented signs to help remember the words to the definition and verse. We continue this through all the character qualities they know this far. We also do a sticker chart for remembering them correctly. Then we follow it with...

Catechism:

Who made you? God made me.
Genesis 1:27 "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

What else did God make? God made all things.
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth."

This catechism information can be found at: http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/child_cat.html

Why do I think this is so important? God says that it is important. Enjoy this with your children and remember that God will also give you wonderful opportunities to flesh these out in your own attitudes!

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7