Someone is forming your child’s character. Someone is teaching them what kind of man or woman they will grow up to be. Someone is teaching them values. Someone is teaching them about how to treat others. Someone is forming their character. Make sure that someone is you.
Two things to think about:
First, “train, don’t tell. There is a proverb in the Bible, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Train, don’t tell. Telling is reactive. It is response to bad behavior. It is telling a child to stop what they are doing. Training is proactive. It is having a vision of the kind of person you are raising and a plan to make it happen. Today we have math coaches, voice coaches, and every other kind of coach for our kids. Your child should have a character coach, and it should be you. Train, don’t tell.
Second, “Play the long game.” You are not trying to create a successful second grader. You are trying to create a successful adult. The goal is not to shape a child who behaves you while you are watching. The goal is to shape a man or woman who in the future will do the right thing when you are no longer around. Much of our formation, emotionally, spiritually, and morally, takes place when we are little but remains with us our whole life long. Play the long game.
In our message this Sunday we will talk about coaching our children’s character.