New Year! New You! Isn’t that what we say as the Christmas season ends and we move into 2024? We are going to lose weight, eat healthier, get more organized, get a new job, work harder, be better, stop drinking (but only for January).
What about your kids? Do you have big plans for their New Year? Can we give you New Year’s resolutions to move your relationships forward with your kids in 2024? How about we give you three and you pick one? OK, here we go!
- Focus more on your example and less on your instruction.
My dad used to say, “Don’t do as I do. Do as I say!” He was only half-joking. News flash! Your children are watching you. Want your child to be kind? Then be kind. Want your child to stop yelling at you? Stop yelling at them. Want them to limit their technology? Oops. Too far. I get it.
Our kids are going to do many of the things we do. We are around them a lot, they have our DNA, they want to be like us, and they need our approval. If we know they are going to do the things we do, then let’s give them our best as an example.
- Learn more about your children.
Suzanne says, “If you listen to them when they are five, they will talk to you when they are 15.” I remember sitting on the floor playing dollhouse with my girls. They told me the names of all their dolls and described the personality traits of each one. And each invented family had at least seven kids! I remember thinking how could one six-year-old child create a whole back story for a pretend family?
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “In humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”
In 2024, set aside time to be truly curious and interested in whatever it is your children are interested in. Watch their eyes light up as they get to share their hearts with you.
- Tell your children they are a gift from God to you.
“I am so glad God gave you to me.”
“I am so glad God put your in our family.”
“You are such a blessing to our family.”
And remember, if you want encouraging statements to sink deep into their hearts, you can’t just say them once. It’s not like a to-do list. Encouraging statements are more like watering a plant. Generous amounts over and over will cause the plant to grow healthy and strong!
Which one are you going to pick? Which one is the hardest? Maybe pick that one. If you are married, choose one together and watch it have a double impact on your kids. Here’s the key: Choose to take the next step in your connection with your child. Just one. And watch in 2024 the impact on their hearts and the joy it brings to your heart. God does not tell us to “value others above yourselves” to punish us. He does it because He loves us, and he knows building strong connections with our kids is not just best for our children but best for us as well.
Hoping and praying 2024 will be your best year yet with your kids!
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