It is estimated that parents have 3000 hours of intentional time with their kids each year. The Kids Team knows that those hours are vital in the social, emotional, physical and spiritual development of your kids. In 2019, we want to encourage and challenge you to find rhythms in your home that are engaging, creative, fun and allow for natural conversations about faith and Jesus. Every month a staff member from the Kids Ministry Team will share an idea from their family rhythm that will guide you in making those 3000 hours a year a little more intentional. Join us each month by sharing how you incorporated the month’s challenge in your home. Post your family experiences to social media using #mhcfamilychallenge for chances to win prizes and encourage other families to join the challenge!
One on One Time With Your Kids
Several years ago there was a video on social media of a man getting all dressed up for a date. He was talking to a buddy about how excited he was for the date and how special this girl was to him. Despite the excitement, he was a little nervous, you could see it in his face as he took several deep breaths and straightened his tie in the mirror and as his hands were shaking as he reached up to ring the doorbell. When the door opens, you realize that he is a father waiting as his daughter comes running down the hall in her prettiest princess dress and jumps into his arms. I always thought that this was such an amazing gift the father was giving his daughter. He isn’t just spending quality time with her, but he is being the example to her of how she should expect to be treated in life.
We all want our kids to have healthy relationships whether it is a current friendship or as they get older, in a dating relationship. We can model healthy relationships in how we treat each other in our marriages, relationships with those in our family or our friendships.
We have found that one way we can teach healthy relationships is by allowing our children to experience special “date nights” with a parent. In our home, we have always tried to make quality one on one time with our kids a priority. We have had seasons of life where this has been easy and seasons where it has been harder to do. There have been nights that my husband and daughter get all dressed up and go to a fancy dinner and there have been weekends where all we have time for is the two of them taking a quick trip to Starbucks. No matter what you do, the time is still valuable and means so much to your kids.
This could look different in your family as you choose for your kids to have “date nights” with a grandparent or other important adults in their life. “Date nights” can model to your kids how they should expect to be treated in future relationships. “Date nights” or one on one time with a parent or influential adult can set up kids to feel proud, respected, heard, loved, etc. through the intentional, quality time that is given to them.
Be challenged this month to schedule quality time with your kids. Make an effort to model healthy relationships through one on one time with your kids, being intentional with the time and conversations you have. Ask them about their friendships, how they expect to be treated and how they should treat others. Ask about the characteristics they see in their friends and why those characteristics are important to them. And most importantly, have fun!
Take a picture during your “date night” and tag #mhckids on Instagram or Facebook.
Facebook / MHCKids or Instagram @MHCKids.
KARA SUDDUTH
KIDS COORDINATOR – RAHAPLACE
