PARENTING IN A CRAZY SOCIETY FAMILY LIFE WEEK Friday 6, 2015

PARENTING One of the biggest challenges of the family in 2015 is the effect the society is having on the family. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-2 Some family life issues: teen pregnancy, bullying, violence, criminal activities, child sexual activity, abuse. The manifestation of these family life issues has it’s origin in poor parental and family foundations There is a symbiotic relationship between the family and the society. What happens in the family affects the society and what happens in the society affects the family

PARENTING There is hope for the family and for the society! We must do some family life things differently. 1. Use a better style of parenting. The Authoritative style is the preferred parenting style. It involves; 2. High levels of responsiveness (warmth, reciprocity, attachment, person-centered communication) and High levels of demandingness (discipline, monitoring and confrontation, correction) 3. This style of parenting requires lots of love, care, hugs, kisses, listening, warmth and communication 4. It also involves the enforcement of rules, discipline, boundaries and punishment.

PARENTING Parents who raised their children using the authoritative parenting style see children who are more balanced in all areas of life. They tend to do better in school. They also tend to do better later in life Their Christian life tend to be more dynamic. This is the all round better approach to parenting It works best when a mother and father work together for their children. Yes fathers are need in this process.

PARENTING The most difficult season of parenting is parenting teenagers. It is difficult because both child and parents are experiencing hormonal changes. Some tips for teen parenting; Catch them doing what you like rather than criticizing them for what you don’t like. Be direct when necessary. Provide information rather than answers. Be tolerant of high activity levels

PARENTING Tips for teen parenting; Engage in some activity with your teenagers. Prepare them for self government/independence. Establish the levels of authority in the home. Know who their friends are. Allow them to lead out in spiritual activities at home Encourage in them a missions attitude for the spiritually lost and socially vulnerable Lead them to know Jesus personally

PARENTING Some other considerations One neglected area of parenting is sometimes neglected to the determent of our children. The wise man said that we should train our children in the way they should go. Read Proverbs 22:6 As parents we need to see the positive direction that our children are heading and encourage them in that direction. Train them how to be better citizens.

PARENTING Our greatest parental function is to prepare our children for the heaven. God expects us to live godly lives before our children and teach them the way to heaven, He will ask a question of each parent, “where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 165 “The home then becomes as an Eden of bliss; the family, a beautiful symbol of the family in heaven.” Adventist Home, 28. Let us harder for the care and salvation of our children