Are your children listless? Non-communicative? Sullen? Argumentative? Sad? Are you inspiring hope in your children?
Is your home inspiring hope in your children?
Do you have intentional plans to look each child in the eye and listen to them? Is there one specific time each week which belongs to the family without electronics or intrusions of life?
A home is meant to be a haven
When you retreat from the world, how do you escape? Wouldn’t it be awesome to arrive home where people smile, respect each other’s moods and privacy, and listen to each other? A home is meant to be:
- place of peace and rest
- place of safety
- a refuge from the demands of daily life
- where people who love you dwell
Are you tired and weary? Are your kids?
Do your children need your attention? When was the last time you listened? Are you setting aside time for the people you love? Do they know you love them?
Setting the tone of the household is the responsibility of the adults. We are mature enough to act instead of reacting. Listening is a skill we develop as we grow older. Learning to listen to a person’s words as well as their body language gives us an advantage in any conversation. How do we teach our children to listen? We listen to them.
Who’s the adult?
Loving our children and bringing hope into their lives brings joy to our hearts. School is hard. The world is full of disappointments. No one loves them the way we do. They should know we love them by more than our words. They know it because we take the time to look at them, listen to their body language, and listen to their words. We respect them as individuals and realize they have days of discouragement or despair. What makes us regain hope after a hard day? Someone takes the time to smile at us, give us a hug, listen to us, or look us in the eye. When someone shows us we matter and we are worthwhile.
What can I do right now?
- Prayer – pray for forgiveness if you’ve been irritable or uncaring. Ask God to show you a better way and give you strength. God is the giver of hope.
- Bible Reading – Read at least a verse a day. Talk about it with your children. Make it fun as well as thoughtful.
- Specific Time with One Child – Find time to spend with your children individually. Each child needs to know you love them equally. Competing for your attentions breeds strife. Make sure you have plenty of eye contact and really listen to them.
- Family Time Together – Build memories of laughter and fun with your children. Play board games and stay present in the conversations. Relax with your loved ones.
If one child is resistant, sit down with them to discuss why they are resisting. Start with a sincere apology for not being more available to listen to them. Do not judge them during this time or treat them as the one in the wrong. Child learn to pull away by mimicking us. Express your love for them and your desire to get to know them again. Or ask them what’s wrong and wait for an answer.
How long it takes to see hope in your children and peace in your home depends on the ages of your children and the general atmosphere of your home.
Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place. You will keep me out of trouble and envelop me with songs that remind me I am free.
Jeremiah 30:10 return home to peace and quiet, and no one will make him afraid
