WHY IS SPENDING TIME WITH CHILDREN SO IMPORTANT?
Research shows that children start learning as infants, long before they ever begin school. The studies say parents are children’s first and most influential teachers—whether we want to be or not!
Our children know us and trust us. They learn from us. They look to us as role models. Children’s Christian values, their habits, their likes and dislikes are most influenced by their parents. The same is true for children’s interests, their religious faith, their attitudes about learning and other people, even the words they learn. Parents have the most influence on all these things.
It’s sobering, but true, that the qualities that will determine how successful children will be in school and in life are influenced most by their parents. Our challenge is to find ways to spend time, lots of undivided attention time, with our children. Then we need to be the best influence we can be on our children during the time we spend with them.
Making the time usually involves sacrifice and tough choices. But it’s worth it. The time we spend with children now will pay big dividends for the rest of their lives, here and in eternity—and ours. It’s hard to say that about anything else we might choose to do with our time.
It sounds odd, but it’s true—finding time takes time. It’s worth it to spend an hour or so reviewing and improving your schedule. Kids can benefit from doing this. The following steps will help:
© Share time in God’s Word. Talk about their Savior. Review memory work. Hold regular family devotions. If your children see you are really serious about their faith life, it will be important to them also.
© List your priorities. Chances are your family is number one. Other priorities may include work, school, friends, exercise, and relaxation.
© Study your schedule. Does it reflect your priorities? If family comes first, for example, you should be spending more time at home than anywhere else.
© Set specific goals. Decide how you will find time for the things that matter most. For example, “I will eat dinner with my family four nights a week.”
© Change your schedule. Cut back on the activities that interfere with your goals. This can be difficult, especially if it requires making sacrifices and working less. It helps to remember that kids would rather (even though they might not admit it) have more time with parents than more material things.
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