Maintaining High Speed Connection i-Parent Series, Part 5 Dr. Dave Currie

How busy is too busy? Is your family schedule psychotic? Are you proud of it or discouraged by it? Learn how to not mess your kids up or rob them of opportunities.

A. Core Principles on Maintaining High Speed Connection. 1. Get your families core values clear. 2. Success in outside activities builds significance in your child. 3. Use extra-curricular activities as a natural means of connection. 4. Determine your family activity priorities.

A. Core Principles on Maintaining High Speed Connection. 5. Realize the innate value in every activity for your child. 6. Remember the importance of activity regardless of pace of life. 7. Work can wait. 8. Value the influence your marriage and family can have on other kids and families in the community.

B. The Biblical Basics for Balance in Life’s Activities. 1. Spiritual training trumps physical training. 1 Timothy 4:8 “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

B. The Biblical Basics for Balance in Life’s Activities. 2. No activity should master our life. 1 Corinthians 6:12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ”

B. The Biblical Basics for Balance in Life’s Activities. 3. Each activities benefits should be considered. 1 Corinthians 10:23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. ”

B. The Biblical Basics for Balance in Life’s Activities. 4. Our life activities should remain in balance. Ecclesiastes 7:18 “It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.”

B. The Biblical Basics for Balance in Life’s Activities. 5.Encourage children to live as an example for God. 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

B. The Biblical Basics for Balance in Life’s Activities. 6.Always do your best at everything. Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

C. Establishing Fair Expectations of Our Children.  Parental questions on finding a fair expectation level.

C. Establishing Fair Expectations of Our Children.  Guiding principles for determining fair expectations of our children. 1. Don’t base your approval on their success. 2. Challenge your child to simply do their best.

C. Establishing Fair Expectations of Our Children.  Guiding principles for determining fair expectations of our children. 3. Be extra generous with encouragement as opposed to your criticism. 4. Teach the importance of keeping commitments.

C. Establishing Fair Expectations of Our Children.  Guiding principles for determining fair expectations of our children. 5. Find the balance of success within time constraints. 6. Allow room for failure and recovery.

C. Establishing Fair Expectations of Our Children.  Guiding principles for determining fair expectations of our children. 7. Their success can’t be driven by your needs.

D. Determining a Level of Balanced Activity for Our Children.  Parental questions on finding a balanced activity level.

D. Determining a Level of Balanced Activity for Our Children.  Guideline principles for determining a balanced activity level. 1. Encourage your child to engage in life. 2. Treat each child different. 3. Keep the level of family involvement for each child fair.

D. Determining a Level of Balanced Activity for Our Children.  Guideline principles for determining a balanced activity level. 4. No activity should win out over a child’s learning. 5. Monitor the stress level in the child and the overall family dynamics.

D. Determining a Level of Balanced Activity for Our Children.  Guideline principles for determining a balanced activity level. 6. Focus on enjoyment over mere success. 7. Remember a busy pace for your family is a season of life.