7 Lessons of Parenting from Mark Batterson

I asked Mark Batterson if I could use his blog as a guest blog for The LOGOS Ministry since it is about parenting.  Enjoy!

Seven Lessons I’ve Learned

By Mark Batterson

Can I take a little blog survey?

I ask this question of other parents all the time: what is the greatest lesson you’ve learned as a parent? Would love to hear about some of the lessons you’ve learned at different stages of parenting. Nothing is more rewarding or more challenging than being a parent. We need to help each other out. I know it’s tough to boil it down to one thing. So feel free to share a few lessons learned.

Here are seven lessons I’ve learned:

1) Your greatest failures as a parent can turn into your greatest successes IF you simply apologize. You are modeling one of the toughest skills to learn: how to handle mistakes.

2) A great marriage is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids so focus on your marriage first and your kids second.

3) You create memories via engineering shared experiences. Be intentional about setting shared goals. Become a student of your kids. Learn to love what they love.

4) Parents are prophets. Don’t just use your authority to speak correction into their lives. Use your authority to speak encouragement into their lives. Otherwise you will become a prophet of doom.

5) We have a Heavenly Father who compensates for our parental weaknesses. So take a deep breath and relax a little. Even if you’re a single parent, you’re not alone. God will make up the difference!

6) One of the greatest gifts you can give your kids is time. A little one-on-one time opens channels of communication like nothing else. If you hang with them when they are young they’ll want to hang with you when you’re old.

7) If all else fails, teach your kids to say please, thank you, and sorry. Especially to God.

Teens and MySpace

How do parents set boundaries for their children? Do parents need to know the difference between being “a parent” and “a best friend”? Do you struggle with setting boundaries for your teen and his/her use of the internet?

Guiding children to become healthy in all facets of their lives is certainly the number one job of any parent.  “Tips for Parents and Healthcare Providers: Teens and MySpace” posted by Seattle Children’s Hospital helps parents think about the boundaries that need to be set for healthy use of social networks. Having family rules as well as family rituals, such as dinner together every night, can build your family’s relationships, improve school success, and significantly reduce at-risk behaviors.

Let us hear from you about how you cope with these issues in your family:

1. What does God say to us about boundaries?
2. Do you find it hard to set boundaries in your family—and stick to them?
3. What techniques have you found useful in guiding your child’s behavior?
4. What do you think setting boundaries has to do with spiritual growth?

For more on how setting boundaries can be healthy for your family, read the July issue of Heartfelt, our free newsletter for families who are committed to raising God’s whole child.