We are parenting in interesting days. The coronavirus has turned our world upside down with quarantines, shutdowns, and school closings. If you’re a parent like me, the schools being closed is the scariest thing so far because it means I’m in an enclosed spaced all day and all night with my kids!
Every situation we face in life is an opportunity to father on purpose. This season of life is no different. I want to offer you an idea to engage in meaningful way with your children. It’s just one example. But, I think if you can do it. You’ll gain confidence to lead and you’ll see quickly how you can do it more often.
Here’s the point: don’t waste your quarantine, brother. Press in intentionally with your kids and use this season to grow closer to them and to help them grow in their spiritual walks.
How to build confidence in kids through dinner.
We now have a great opportunity to eat meals together. It’s a simple thing to overlook but so much of life happens around a table. In the Scriptures, Jesus did much of His teaching around meal times (feedings of the 4,000 and 5,000; dinner with Matthew and his friends; the Last Supper; the breakfast on the beach after the resurrection) so we want to encourage you, eat with your family on purpose.
Use dinner tonight as an opportunity to laugh, connect, talk. Ask some questions that everyone has to answer. Depending on the age of your kids, potentially discuss the Coronavirus. Take time to share some stories from your past with your kids about times you were stuck indoors with your family.
While this is an opportunity for today, it’s a great idea to build on this and use it at each meal moving forward. You’ve got this season and for a lot of us—we cannot eat out right now—so use this window the Lord has given us to press in to our families at meal times.
How to build confidence in kids through devotion: Psalm 23
Don’t get caught up on the word “devotional.” You can start at whatever passage you wish, what follows is just an idea. I think Psalm 23 is an awesome chapter to start with. What an appropriate text for a time where so many are afraid in our country.
The point is to give your kids a grounding in Scripture instead of simply your ideas. Point your kids to the Word. How? You point your kids to the Word by taking a verse or few—and you read the Bible aloud. Read, ask questions, teach a bit of what you know. That’s it. Be faithful. God will do the work in your kids—and in you. Trust Him.
Here’s an example:Â Read through this Psalm with your family and then together answer these three (3) questions:
- What stood out to you in this text?
- Why is it important that we know that the Lord is our Shepherd and how could that comfort us?
- List all the ways that this Psalm tells us that the Lord leads us and discuss what that means for us.
How to build confidence in kids through prayer
Similar to the big word “devotional” — prayer can be scary too. Don’t overthink this. Tonight, take some time to pray for the Lord to guide you and your family not only through this season and situation but specifically to the opportunities that He has for us in this season and situation. Pray for eyes to see needs of neighbors and for the time we have together as a family over the next few weeks.
What’s left after you do all of this tonight? All you have left to do is to repeat these steps as often as possible! Doing so will instill confidence in your kids, not just for this current pandemic, but for life.
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