Christmas is here! With Christmas, come visitors and family which can create some issues with your children. My little girl Caileigh has a best friend named Jenna who is the daughter of one of my best friends, Tiffany. Caileigh and Jenna have a problem. When together, the two have a tendency to create chaos. They are both normally fairly well behaved sweet girls but when together watch out! Collin and his cousin Jadin create the same phenomenon. One afternoon, out of desperation I sat down with the girls and asked, " Do you Caileigh love Jenna? And Jenna do you love Caileigh?" (I know it sounded like a wedding vow, but it was spur of the moment) Both nodded with sad eyes ( they had been separated and had lost the privilege of playing together during rest time) and held hands.
"If you love each other do you want bad things to happen to your friend?" "No", they answered. " I love Miss Tiffany so I want only good things to happen to her, and I want God to be pleased with her so I only encourage her to do good things. If you love your friend you should want the best for her and so should encourage each other to do good and not sin." This seemed to click with the two girls and we talk each time they are together about encouraging each other to do good. I had to have this same talk with Collin and Jadin this week after several incidents and they too seem to get the message. We must learn to help our friends and let our friends help us when we are struggling and teaching them as children to love each other and encourage each other to do good is imperative. This could be vital in the teen years, imagine your teens being and having friends who will help each other make right choices. what a blessing that would be!
If you haven't had your child memorize the golden rule this would be a perfect time to work on it.
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew
7:12
I hope you have a Merry Christmas filled with the awe of the stable.
Categories: parenting
