T&T CLUBS: Bring-A-Hero Theme Night!

The Theme night for tomorrow is ONLY for the T&T clubbers!  (Remember, Sparkies were last week.)

So remind your kids to invite their hero to clubs tomorrow night.  (If you are getting the blueprints newsletter, hopefully that hero is YOU!)  But it can be any relatives, siblings, teachers, etc. that they consider special.  And we're not opposed to multiple heroes coming with one kid (so they don't have to choose between you and someone else.)  We just want to see adults join us for T&T clubs tomorrow!

The fun starts at 6:15pm!  See you there!

Understanding Obedience

We live in a society where an emphasis on teaching obedience sounds to some like heavy-handed authoritarianism. Parents don't want to be dictators so they sometimes move far away from anything that looks like being controlling. This is unfortunate since God is the one who gave the instructions for children to learn obedience. Hidden within this quality are the principles that will make children successful as they get older.

When children learn to obey they learn to give up their own agenda for someone else. They learn to listen to an instruction and follow through with it. They learn how to be responsible, check back, and complete a task. In short, when children learn obedience, they not only make family life easier but they also develop the character that will make them more valuable in the work place, the community, and the world. In fact, learning to obey parents teaches kids what they need in order to obey God.

We say that obedience is "doing what someone says, right away, without being reminded." Children as young as three years old can memorize this simple definition and understand what it means. Parents sometimes think that obedience is the same as compliance. When a parent says, "I can get my children to obey eventually," that's not obedience. Compliance is only part of obedience. When you say to your son, "It’s time to go to bed now," and he says, "As soon as I'm done with this game," that's not obedience; it's an excuse for disobedience.

As parents, it's okay to negotiate and compromise with our children sometimes, but too often children aren't mature enough for this. In fact, they may be demanding, unable to give up their agenda for someone else. Cooperation requires that both people give and take. In order to get to that stage, children must first learn how to sacrifice or follow. Once they learn that, true cooperation can take place.

Teach obedience and you’ll give your children a valuable gift that will be used for the rest of their lives.

This parenting tip comes from the book Home Improvement, the Parenting Book You Can Read to Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

ONE WEEK DOWN! 3 TO GO ON THE BG2MC!!

If your kids are doing the whole 28 day media fast, encourage them with the knowledge that they're already 1/4th of the way done!  WAY TO GO!  Keep going, everyone!

Are YOU Ready for the Family Challenge Next Week?

This Sunday is the beginning of Family Week at Prayer House and as always there will be no C.W. Playhouse Kids Church in favor of a family service in which we all worship together.  

However, THIS SUNDAY expect something different!  Expect a FAMILY CHALLENGE!  It's time we start making Family Weeks count for something so prepare to be challenged every month this year!  

Of course, what fun is a challenge without a reward for success?  But more on that Sunday...!

Are You Giving Instructions Clearly?

We’ve all found ourselves in situations where adults are supervising children. Some adults have the ability to command attention and get children to listen better than others. All they use is what we call a Firm Instruction, a very important part of the discipline process.

A Firm Instruction is quite useful whether you're working with your own children or someone else's. Good discipline doesn't just mean finding appropriate consequences. In fact, developing the skill of giving instructions can prevent many of the discipline problems we experience. Here's what makes a Firm Instruction work best.

To give a Firm Instruction you must first get your child's attention. This may involve things like moving close to the child, obtaining eye contact, or requesting the child remove the earphones. Next give a brief, firm, verbal instruction. You don't have to be harsh or irritated, just calm and matter-of-fact, communicating one-on-one with the child.

After giving the instruction, teach your children how to acknowledge your request. This will help you know that the message was received. A good response is to say, "Yes Mom" or "Okay Dad." This type of response tells you three things. It tells you that the child has heard the instruction, avoiding the common excuse later, "I didn't hear you say that."

The child's acknowledgment also tells you that the child intends to follow through. And lastly, the way the child responds to you indicates the child's attitude at the time. Is this an angry or disrespectful "Okayyyy Dadddd!” response? If so, now you know you're dealing with an attitude problem, not just working on following directions.

The Firm Instruction is one step in a complete discipline process, yet it’s often overlooked. Take time to evaluate your instructions and you'll be surprised at how small changes can make a big difference.

This parenting tip comes from the book Home Improvement, the Parenting Book You Can Read to Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN. 

BG2MC (KID VID VETO) BEGINS THIS SUNDAY!

This is the final weekend for your kids to get sponsors for the annual media fast fundraiser before it actually begins.  This Sunday we launch 28 days of NO ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA!  But it will all be for nothing if your kids don't get some sponsors...the more the merrier!  So remind them to make phone calls to grandparents, aunts & uncles, even cousins before we kick it off this Sunday!

REMINDER:  Your child does NOT have to go the whole 28 days to participate in this fund-raiser.  I encourage you not to let your kids completely pass on this fundraiser.  If they are grousing about the length of it, challenge them to do it for just one week or even a few days, or just weekends...whatever works for your child or your family...as long as you let your sponsors know up front!  Anything is better than nothing...and what are we teaching our kids if we don't let them learn how to suffer a little bit for a higher cause?  Remind them that there are children going without food, water, and the gospel while they are refusing to give up their entertainment.  I know that seems a bit harsh, but sometimes our kids need to be pushed in order to have an appreciation for such things.  

Maybe to motivate them, you should consider making the sacrifice with them!