Category Archives: Preschool Parenting Class

Month 13

How To Deal with Your Child’s Attitude Problem

Email 1

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Subject Line: All About The Attitude, Part One

Parents,

Have you ever looked at your precious child and wonder what has taken over their body? Do they ever misbehave to the point that you wonder where you went wrong as a parent? Know that you are not alone. Attitude problems are a common issue when raising preschoolers. This month we hope to help you find some ways to deal with those attitudes!

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/126916779/ed61152c82

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Email 2

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Subject Line: All About The Attitude, Part Two

Parents,

Our last email introduced some ideas on what we can do to deal with attitude problems our kids may have. Bottom line: it’s hard to deal with and can be extremely frustrating. It is easy to become angry and fed up with that behavior. James 1:19 says, “This you know, my beloved brethren. Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” Sometimes it is easier said than done. We must keep our temper in check when dealing with our children. You cannot take back words or actions that were said out of anger. If we’re honest, we know that we could handle any parenting moment much better from a state of calm. But in the storm of our anger, we feel righteously entitled to our fury. How can this kid be so irresponsible, inconsiderate, ungrateful? Your child may be pushing your buttons, but he isn’t causing your response.

Children sometimes will act out to get a reaction from parents. Lacking enough positive interaction, a child will develop negative tactics to re-engage the adults. Being scolded, nagged, reminded, and punished is far better than being ignored. Few parents set out to deprive their children of enough parental contact, but many parents are over-scheduled, working too hard, or in distress themselves. Even though they’re doing the best they can, parents who are overwhelmed by the job may inadvertently create a situation where the kids have no choice but to misbehave to ensure a connection. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you.”

Tantrums also spring from your child’s growing desire for independence. Despite your toddler’s rapidly developing abilities, they no doubt still want to do much more than they can handle physically and mentally. This frustrating incompetence will drive your child over the edge. When their frustration reaches a certain level, it explodes as a tantrum.

Though it hardly seems like it much of the time, your toddler is actually trying to control themselves. And despite all the turbulence, your child will become increasingly self-aware throughout this year. By their third birthday, this self-awareness will probably awaken a previously unseen ability in your toddler: awareness of and identification with the feelings of others. So in the end, your child’s sometimes painful journey toward self-awareness will give birth to a degree of empathy.

Avoid any positive reinforcement of a meltdown. Don’t offer candy or a cookie if they will stop and don’t give them what they want. It’s best to give temper tantrums as little attention as possible. If you’re at home, you may try saying, “When you’re done, we’ll move on,” and let the tantrum take its course. If you’re in public, put yourself in a situation where you have time for the tantrum to play out. If you can leave a store, leave, and return after the tantrum has ceased.

Give your child the power of choice to help her determine the outcome. Try saying, “It looks like you’re having a hard time being calm, do you need to sit down for a while or do you need some help?” Or leave a situation and say: “When you’re calm you can come back.” When you provide choice you empower your child. This not only helps end the current tantrum, but it can help prevent future tantrums from occurring.

Growing up is tough, so is parenting. By working together, we can navigate the tempers and attitudes and reach a peaceful conclusion.

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Video Script

Like you, I am the parent of a preschooler and like you, I have experienced the frustration of a preschooler’s attitude. I once heard a friend say, “Whoever named it the terrible twos, never had a three year old!” Turning four brings a whole new set of issues. Let’s face it, preschoolers can have major attitude. So what are some ways that we can deal with our child when those moments happen? This month’s parenting class is all about attitude.

Nothing pushes a parent’s buttons more than being on the receiving end of back talk from their own child. But get into a major power struggle and you’ll just stress out more — yelling isn’t going to win you respect. Simply ignoring your kid’s attitude problem won’t make it disappear either. The biggest mistake we make is assuming rude behavior is a phase that will go away on its own. Your sweet baby is now an opinionated two or three year old. Suddenly bossiness and yelling are very common. You may have a snappy comeback yourself, but stop and take a moment. That smart comment may make you feel better, but don’t place yourself in a situation where you are arguing with your two year old. You are the adult and we need to remember to act like it. Don’t allow your frustration to force you to lose your temper with your child. Make it a teaching moment and let your child know how and what they should have said. Then give them the opportunity to make it right. Help them focus and understand what you expect from them.

Sometimes, kids are just seeking a reaction from you. The truth is that bad behavior often results in them receiving more attention from you than good behavior does. Make sure that you praise and acknowledge the good times as well as the bad. When they do talk back, don’t take the bait, but don’t ignore them either. Establish a statement to use in these situations. Something like: “That is not how we talk to each other. Let’s try again.”

Although preschoolers often want to be helpful, they also like to assert their independence at times. It’s common for them to say, “No!” when you tell them to do something. They often like to find out what happens when they break the rules or act defiantly.Establish a list of household rules and make the negative consequences for breaking those rules clear. Be consistent in your discipline, because preschoolers will likely to try to get away with misbehavior as long as they think there’s a small chance they won’t get in trouble.Use positive reinforcement to encourage compliance. Praise and reward systems can increase the likelihood that your preschooler will follow directions.

Most preschoolers have gained some mastery over temper tantrums but still haven’t gained enough impulse control to prevent the occasional aggressive behavior. Hitting, kicking, and occasional biting can still be a problem. Respond to aggressive behavior with consistent discipline. Time outs can teach children how to calm themselves down. Taking away privileges can also be an effective consequence for aggression. Teach your child problem solving skills so they can resolve conflict peacefully. Also teach your child about feelings so they can express her emotions with words, instead of by acting out how they feels. Aggressive behavior should subside as your child masters those skills. Be on the lookout for our next email. We will give you some examples and some how-to’s that should help you deal with all that attitude.

Weekly tweets from you to parents:

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell Twitter to store a list of your tweets on one place for later reference.

Tweet One: Don’t argue with your preschooler. You are the adult, act like it. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Two: James 1:19 “This you know my beloved brethren. Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger”. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Three: The biggest mistake we make is assuming rude behavior is a phase that will go away on its own. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Four: Don’t allow your frustration to force you to lose your temper with your child. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Five: When your children talk back, don’t take the bait, but don’t ignore the behavior either. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Six: Preschoolers often like to find out what happens when they break the rules or act defiantly. Have a plan for when they do. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Seven: Be a model. Show your children what they should do.#urchurchparentministry

Tweet Eight: Teach your child problem solving skills so they can resolve conflict peacefully. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Nine: Don’t use bribes to stop bad behavior. Instead teach your child how to deal with their emotions. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet Ten: When you give your child choices, you empower them to make decisions. #urchurchparentministry

Month 12

Helping Our Kids Play Well With Others

Email 1

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Subject Line: Playing well with Others, Part One

Parents,

One of the hardest things to do as parents is to see our children not behaving around other people. We all want our children to be well behaved, but how can we help our children gain good social skills?

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/123967150/273e20a50e

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Playing well with Others, Part TwoParents,

Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so are as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Good words to live by, but sometimes this can be difficult, especially for children. Kids are naturally ego-centric and they are not born with the tools to effectively handle conflict. This is where we as their parents must help them to form good social skills and healthy play habits.

We learned in our first email that parents are one of the primary sources for the way our children respond to life. They model behaviors that they see and that are acceptable at home. Playing with your child at home lays the foundation for how they will play with other children. Do you ever get stumped for ideas on what to do at home? Here are some suggestions:

Encourage make believe and pretend play.
Research has shown that pretend play is very important for a young child’s development in number of ways. First, children develop and hone a number of important social skills in the midst of zooming cars and fort building. In fact, when another person is involved, they are able to practice turn-taking, sharing responsibility (for the direction of play), and creative problem solving. In addition, children practice language skills within the context of pretend play. During play, children often experiment with language and voices (e.g., mom calling the children to dinner). Parents and teachers can facilitate this process by introducing new words into the play. Finally, pretend play inspires the imagination and thinking skills.
Art Projects
Granted, this play can get messy, but encouraging your little artist will only increase creativity. Children can become more self confident and assured when they are able to express themselves and art can be a great way to do that.
Create something to share with someone else
Do you have a neighbor, teacher or family member who you would like to reach out to? Have your child help to draw a picture or put together a little gift to brighten their day. This also creates a teaching moment for your child and shows them to think about the feelings of others.

Ultimately, there will be disagreements between kids. It just happens, but how we deal with it can help to ensure the best result. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”. If your child has frequent disagreements with a friend or sibling, consider practicing some of these techniques at a neutral time when the child is not upset and is not in conflict.

Teach empathy and understanding. Often, children who argue are so caught up in being right, they forget to think about how the other person may be feeling. Help your child understand that a friend may be upset because she feels jealous, sad, or lonely about something, and work on identifying times when your child has felt the same way. This can help your child step back from being “right” and remember to be caring.

Apologize and admit mistakes. It’s not easy (even for adults!), but helping your child learn to admit when he is wrong can take away the fuel that feeds many arguments. Role-playing apologies can be helpful here, but what’s more important is to practice what you preach. Let your child see moments when you admit you’re wrong and try to make amends.

Practice ways to compromise. Help your child understand what compromise is (when a common agreement or solution is reached) and why it’s a valuable tool to use in any relationship. Teach your child how to take a few moments to breathe and main her composure as best she can. Give kids the opportunity to practice compromising with you, too.

Taking the time to work with our kids to form good social skills while they are young will be so beneficial for them as they grow older. You are giving them the tools to be a good friend.

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Video Script

As parents, we all think that our kids are amazing. However, I bet you can all think of a moment that your child had a meltdown at a playgroup or was less than charming in a moment you really needed them to behave. What can we do to encourage good behavior with other people? This month’s online parenting class is on playing well with others.

I dare you to think of a single playgroup you have been to when a child hasn’t come away crying. You can’t do it. Kids at this age, or any age for that matter, are just going to have disagreements and have trouble getting along. I can think of one time in particular that I had to leave a playgroup early with my child because the kids were arguing over toys more than they were playing. They just could not seem to get along no matter what we did. As a parent, these moments are mortifying. We see and know how good our kids can be at times and it is so frustrating to see them behaving badly with other children. We have all been there. However, don’t cancel all future playdates and rip up the preschool application. It is crucial for kids to have interaction with others. Studies have shown that social skills are a very important part of growing up. These days children are socialized very early in daycare or preschool. Playdates have become the norm in our society.

As parents, it is our job to teach our children how to interact with others. Children are naturally ego-centric. They are the center of their own little world. The preschool age is especially difficult because they haven’t yet learned what is appropriate behavior. Children this age have trouble playing well with others. By the age of two, it is common for children to act selfishly and to view the world exclusively through their own needs. Toddlers have very little self control or awareness of the feelings of others or the consequences of their actions towards others. At this age it is more common to see children playing alongside each other instead of truly interacting with each other. This is also the stage that acting out physically is normal. Pushing, hitting and snatching items from each other, usually followed by a scream or cry seems to be par for the course. Toddlers will respond with physical acts without realizing that they are hurting their friends. By the age of three, you will see more instances of playing together and pretend play. You will also get a more vocal reaction. This is the point that hurtful words will become common and you may have to diffuse arguments between kids. Their personalities are developed and it is easy to spot the natural leaders and the followers.

So how can parents help their children develop healthy social skills? Children need all sorts of play. They need play with parents, independent play and play with others. Kids must learn to interact with others in a healthy, positive and productive manner. Studies have shown that social development builds off of a child’s primary relationship, that being their parent or guardian. Children learn from what they are immersed in. They will model the type of behavior that they are most familiar with and see often. Loving, sensitive parents can be ideal social tutors. Kids will learn crucial skills just from playing with their parents. Research suggests that children whose parents frequently play with them have more advanced social skills and get along better with their peers. While playing you can model the kinds of behaviors you want them to show. Modeling positive social skills includes showing confidence when we relate to others: being friendly to strangers, offering to help others and treating others with respect. Teach your child that people are important. Don’t let them, intentionally or not, disrespect or belittle another person. Playing alongside your child also allows you to monitor how they play. You can get a sense of what their strengths and weaknesses are. You may realize that your child can tend to be a little bossy or naturally waits for others to initiate play. Knowing this about your child can help you to teach them what they can do to make social situations easier for them.

Be watching for our next parent email. We will give some usable examples of play situations you can implement at home and ways to diffuse those awkward social moments!

Weekly tweets from you to parents:

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell Twitter to store a list of your tweets on one place for later reference.

Tweet one: Children are naturally ego-centric. They need to learn to think about others as well. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet two: Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all”. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet three: Teach your child that people are important. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet four: Playing with others is an important way to learn social skills. How is your child playing? #urchurchparentministry

Tweet five: Kids need to play: Independently, with parents and with others. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet six: Model the behavior you want your kids to show. They are watching you for guidance. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet seven: Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet eight: Don’t let your child’s behavior discourage you from setting up times for them to play with others. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet nine: Loving, sensitive parents can be ideal social tutors for your child. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet ten: Preschoolers have trouble separating feelings from actions. We must teach them appropriate responses to their feelings. #urchurchparentministry

Month 11

Helping Our Kids Deal With Emotions

Email 1

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Dealing with Emotions, Part One

Parents,
Human beings experience a wide variety of emotions each and every day. Over time, we are able to manage and deal with those emotions. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” However, your children are not born knowing how to deal with all the feelings they have each day. It is our job to help them learn how to do that.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/121132477/b145502f4c

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Dealing with Emotions, Part Two

Parents,
The early years of your child’s life present a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for healthy development. It is also a time of growth and vulnerability. Studies have shown that children whose parents talk with them about their emotions have better social skills and coping capabilities. It is so important to start this communication with our kids! By the ages of two and three children can understand what they are feeling but they still have very little control over it. Emotions at this age are very situation specific and can change quickly as your child moves on to different activities. It is also common for preschoolers to express emotions in extremes, you know the ones we are talking about!

Two of the most common emotions that kids have a hard time dealing with are anger and fear. Here are some tips when dealing with these particular preschool emotions.

Anger:

Remain calm. No good will come of both of you being angry.
Do not try to reason with your child while they are in the middle of a tantrum. They are not thinking or behaving rationally.
Take a time out, for you and them. This gives you both a chance to calm down and you are not indulging their behavior.
If discipline is necessary, give consequences for the behavior, not the anger.

Fear:

In the moment, your child is dealing with something that is very real and serious to them. Don’t smile or make light of what they are going through. Your child’s fear of the neighbor’s small poodle may seem silly to you, but it is very real to them.
Problem solve together. This also opens communication and allows your child to be part of the solution.
Provide your child with a comfort object. If they have a particular stuffed animal or blanket that brings them comfort, allow them to keep it with them.
Teach them not to dwell on things that cause fear. Instead, explore ways to boost confidence and help them feel brave.

What are some ways to help express feelings? Give your child permission to feel and express emotion. Let them know that these feelings are normal and everyone feels that way sometimes. They will be more likely to talk to you and share if they feel safe and secure. Use books and art to help boost communication.

Be a positive role model. Your child will model what you show them. If you are prone to losing your temper and emotional outbursts, don’t be surprised if your child shows those same behaviors. Show them healthy, productive ways of expressing emotions. There are many scriptures and stories in the Bible dealing with emotions. Teach your child that we should always pray and talk to God about what we are feeling. Incorporate daily prayer time with your child to praise and thank God for our blessings and happy moments each day and also reaching out in times of sorrow or anxiety.

Helping our children identify and name their emotions is the first step in giving them the tools they need as they grow to deal with these feelings. We can help them now at an early age to learn how to manage their emotions as they grow up.

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Video Script

There is a song that says “into each life a little rain must fall”. It is inevitable that we have bad days to go along with the good and unfortunately, this holds true for our kids as well. As adults, we can have a hard time dealing with our emotions and finding healthy ways to express our feelings. It is even more difficult for children to deal with these things. Our parenting class this month is on helping our child deal with their emotions.

No matter how protective of our children as we may be, our kids will experience pain, sadness, frustration and anger. Working through different emotions can be hard or scary for a child who isn’t sure what they are feeling. It is our job as parents to help our child to navigate the waters of emotion regulation, which is being able to think about how to cope with feelings. Even at a young age, we can help our child to understand what different emotions are and what are the best ways to express these feelings. Emotion regulation is essential for children’s overall well being. We want our kids to have feelings, but to not be overwhelmed by them and unfortunately, mood swings are just a part of growing up.

The preschool age is tough because they are beginning to understand different emotions but they have difficulty regulating them and using the appropriate labels to describe what they are feeling. This age also has difficulty separating feelings from actions. If they feel something, they express it. If they want something that someone else has, they try to take it. If they feel anger, they may resort to hitting. It is very common for preschoolers to use physical means instead of using their words. Teaching children appropriate ways to express their emotions is an important milestone in their development.

One of the first things that you can do to help your child is to teach them how to identify feelings. Teach them the names of emotions. Tell them, “You are feeling scared right now.” or “I know that you are very angry.” Use appropriate labels like happy, excited, sad, mad. This will allow them to identify emotions later. Simply telling a child to calm down or stop crying is not an effective way to help them through emotional stress. You must acknowledge what they are feeling, no matter how unreasonable it may seem in the moment! No matter what, do not belittle your child or make light of their feelings. This will only embarrass your
child and build a wall between you.

Teach your child to use their words. Once you name their feelings, give them the chance to tell you what they are feeling. The situation may seem silly to you, but to them at that moment, it is very real and serious. Studies have shown that kids whose parents talk to them about emotions have better social skills as they get older. You are opening the door for communication between you and your child. If they feel comfortable coming to you and expressing themselves from an early age, the more likely they are to continue that as they grow older. Giving your child permission to feel and express their emotions helps them to feel safe and secure. Think about when you are going through a rough time. Sometimes it makes a world of difference to be validated and know that someone else has been where you are. It is no different for our kids. It helps to know that we aren’t alone in what we are feeling.

Books are a great tool in helping to deal with our feelings. When reading with your child, point out the different emotions that are happening in the story. Show them examples of positive and negative ways the characters are dealing with feelings. Maybe your child would feel comfortable drawing a picture of how they feel. These are ways to start communication, even at an early age.

Growing up is tough. there is something new every day that our kids experience and learn. Starting at the preschool age, showing them good ways to deal with their feelings, will only be beneficial for them as they get older. Be watching for our next parent email. We will talk about different emotions that children experience and some good ways to help them deal with those feelings.

Weekly tweets from you to parents:

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell Twitter to store a list of your tweets on one place for later reference.

Tweet one: Validate your child’s feelings. Let them know they are not alone. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet two: 1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet three: Emotion regulation is essential for a child’s well being. How does your family deal with emotions? #urchurchparentministry

Tweet four: Be a positive role model on how to express emotion. They will model what we show them. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet five: Incorporate daily prayer time with your child. Show them how to talk to God about their daily blessings and sorrows. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet six: Use appropriate labels for emotions that your child will understand. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet seven: By the age of three, children understand the emotions they are feeling, but not how to control them. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet eight: Don’t wait for traumatic events to happen to begin talking with your child about their feelings. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet nine: James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet ten: Preschoolers have trouble separating feelings from actions. We must teach them appropriate responses to their feelings. #urchurchparentministry

Month 10

Tips to Help Single Parents

Email 1

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Single Parenting, Part one

Parents,

Did you know that over 22 million children are being raised by single parents? I’m sure you can think of a few in your own life. Regardless of whether or not you are a single parent, we are all affected in one way or another. Have you ever thought to yourself, “I could really use some help” or “I wish I could assist in some way?” Hopefully we can help with some ideas this month.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/118054423/60ccab9fb1

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Single Parenting, Part Two

Parents,

Earlier this month we discussed many of the problems that single parents face each day. You may have realized that even though you may not be single, this topic affects you more than you previously thought when you look at your friends and family. The number of single parent households has more than tripled in the last 50 years. The following are some suggestions that you could maybe instill in your own routine.

Find a schedule that works for your family
There is no ideal schedule for everyone. Each family has different activities and responsibilities that make them unique.

If childcare and work schedules aren’t in sync, talk with your boss about possibly adjusting your hours. Be honest about your situation.
Be very conscious about what you commit yourself and your children to do. You must be realistic about what you can accomplish. Consider location of activities, cost involved, time of activities/ practices. You can’t do everything and be everywhere, but you also want to set the standard for your children to be accountable for what you agree to do. Make sure that you also set aside time to be at home and spend time together.

Childcare
Get creative about childcare. Create a babysitting network with friends and trade off on providing childcare. That way everyone gets time without the kids and no one has to pay babysitting fees.

Support System
One of the most common difficulties of single parents is that they feel isolated and alone. Join forces with other parents in similar situations. This may be another single parent, or a friend whose spouse works odd hours. Maybe you have a friend whose spouse is deployed. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other people. Building community can provide social support and give a sense of belonging. Look into support groups through your church, social sites or YMCA. The other side of this is being willing to accept help if it is offered. Don’t be too proud to admit that it is hard to do it alone.

Be organized
If your home is in disarray, it can be easy for things to become disorganized and hectic. Keeping things streamlined and organized can help daily routines to run more smoothly. Keep a calendar of daily activities so everyone knows what each day contains. Be prepared for urgent situations. Have emergency numbers of people you know you can count on and that you can call if something happens. We all get sick, even if you are solely responsible for the family. As children grow, hold family meetings. Talk about everyone’s schedule and how to share responsibilities around the house. It helps when everyone is on the same page.

How to help:
What about those of us who aren’t single, but we have single friends or family members? What are some ways that we can reach out and help them?

Provide hands-on help. Offer to babysit, pick up the dry cleaning, or drive their child to soccer practice. An extra set of hands can make a huge difference.
Keep them on the guest list. Don’t leave out friends who are single because they don’t have a partner or seem too busy. Loneliness can be a huge problem with single parents. Even if they can’t make it, they will appreciate being included. This applies to holidays also. No one wants to spend holidays alone.
Surprise them with a freezer-friendly meal. What a treat to not have to worry about dinner!
Ask what it is like. Just be a friendly ear and listen. Being heard can be very validating.

Above all, make sure to cover your family in prayer. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Every family situation is different. We hope that these suggestions can help your situation.

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Video Script

We all know how difficult parenting can be. Articles and the pros will tell you how important it is for parents to work together and be a team. But what about those parents who do it alone? This month we are going to talk about the difficulties of being a single parent.

Now, you may be happily married and think, “I don’t need to hear this because this topic doesn’t apply to me”. Take a moment and think about your family and friends. Chances are, there is a person who comes to mind who is parenting on their own. Maybe, your child’s best friend only lives with one parent or your next-door neighbor is a single parent. Ultimately, we are all touched by this topic. Studies have shown that there are 13.7 million single parents in the United States and those parents are responsible for raising over 22 million children. Half of those families are due to divorce, but another increasingly large group live with single parents who were never married or involved in a long-term relationship. A smaller number of children have widowed parents. Whatever the cause, there is a higher number of single parent families in our country than ever before and that means all of us are touched by it in one way or another.

Single parenthood is not easy, for parents or children. It can mean less income to support the family. If you can’t arrange or afford childcare, keeping a steady job can become difficult. Single parents can feel isolated and alone without another person to share the daily tasks of raising a child and maintaining a home. Parents can easily become tired and distracted to be as consistent with discipline and rules as they need to or would like to be. Any of these sound familiar? We would like to offer some suggestions that may help you meet some of your needs while still providing your child with what they need as well.

Take advantage of all the resources you can in finding childcare for your child. Ask around with people you trust. What did they do? Do they have any recommendations? 6 out of 10 families use a day care center. Ask lots of questions about their practices. What are their goals, requirements for staff, class ratios, costs? Ask to tour their facility. First impressions can tell you a lot. Take care of yourself, for your sake as well as your child. I’m not saying regular days at the spa, but just see to basic needs. See a doctor regularly, pay attention to what you are putting in your body, and attempt to get plenty of sleep. You are also setting the standard of what your child thinks is healthy behavior.

Set firm but reasonable limits and rules for your children and don’t be afraid to enforce them. Having clear rules to follow help children to know exactly what is expected of them and what behavior will not be tolerated. Do what you can to create a support system for yourself. Do you have family nearby? Friends from work or church? These are your support system people. You cannot be afraid or unwilling to accept or ask for help. If someone offers to help, take them up on it! If nothing else, you need someone you can call if an emergency comes up.

As overwhelming as it can be at times, there can be some benefits to being single. You can raise your child according to your own beliefs, principles and rules. Single parents often develop extremely close bonds with their children. Many children in single parent households may become more independent and mature because they have more responsibility within the family. Don’t let yourself get caught up in couple envy thinking that things would be better or easier with a partner. This could be true in some instances, but the truth is that there are problems with married couples too! The current divorce rate is proof of that. Maybe you aren’t a single parent, but often a solo parent. These are the parents whose partner travels often for work, works odd hours or is in the middle of a military deployment. Some of these suggestions can also hold true for you.

Isaiah 41:10 says “Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my Righteous right hand.” Cover your family in prayer and ask people you trust to pray for you and your family. Don’t
neglect your spiritual walk in the middle of your busyness.

Be watching for our next email. We will dig deeper into these suggestions with practical tips and also give suggestions about how you can reach out and help single parents you may know in your life. After all, we all need to work together.

Weekly tweets from you to parents:

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell Twitter to store a list of your tweets on one place for later reference.

Tweet one: Building a community can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet two: Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” #urchurchparentministry

Tweet three: There are nearly 14 million single parents in the U.S. How does it affect you? #urchurchparentministry

Tweet four: Seek out positive role models to have around your children. They can benefit from these people in their lives. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet five: Find time each day for your child. Make sure they know they are your top priority. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet six: Ask people you trust to pray for you and your child. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet seven: Set aside one night a week for no chores or work and focus on yourself. We all need a little ”me time” to make us better parents! #urchurchparentministry

Tweet eight: Learn to say no. Do not over-extend yourself to the detriment of your family. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet nine: Join forces with other families in similar situations to yours. They know what life is like for you. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet ten: Be willing to accept help. No one can do everything all by themselves! #urchurchparentministry

Month 9

Help your child to form healthy habits for the New Year!

Email 1

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Healthy Habits, Part One

Parents,
Happy New Year! We are ready to start off this new year in a wonderful way! Every January we are bombarded with images and stories of resolutions. A new year seems to be the ideal time to head off with a new outlook, a fresh start. This applies to your children too! Have you ever considered that this could be a time of new habits for them too? You are the one who can help set healthy habits for your child.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/115305452/2a0127811d

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Healthy Habits, Part Two

Parents,

So, how are your resolutions going? It is hard to keep new habits. We so often want to go back to our old selves. You must remember that if you have and keep healthy habits it will be much easier for your child to do the same. They look up to you and take their cues from you! Here are some examples and ideas that may make implementing healthy habits into your lives a bit easier.

Take care of your body!

Teach your child to cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze.
Make sure that you teach your child the importance of washing hands. Germs are everywhere, especially this time of year. Now, we don’t want you to turn into a hypochondriac, but washing your hands can ward off so many illnesses! Make sure that your child has everything they need to accomplish this task. Have a stool handy so they can reach. Put fun soap in the bathroom, make it fun for them.
Make sure that your child knows the importance of staying safe inside the car. Always buckle your seat belt and ensure that they are always strapped in properly.
When playing outside, always have sunscreen available to prevent sunburns.
Show them the proper way to brush their teeth and help them brush and floss. Make regular visits to the dentist a priority. The dentist can be intimidating for kids and adults. Find a good pediatric dentist in your area. Help children to see that always taking care of our teeth can make visits much easier!
Get plenty of sleep. It can be very tempting to bend the bedtime rules, especially if you have a child who is reluctant to go to bed. Stand firm. They need a good nights sleep as much as you do. It’s important for their growth and development. Help them to understand how sleep is important for our bodies.

Healthy Diet
Childhood obesity is a very serious problem. There is a common misconception that eating healthy is harder or more expensive. Anything can be made a daily habit with the proper research and planning. Our children will only want junk food if all they eat is junk food. You are responsible for the food that is in your home. Do your best to only provide a variety of healthy choices for snacks and meals for them. This way they can try different foods and discover what they do and do not like. Help them to understand the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. Make sure that they don’t skip breakfast. They need fuel to get them through their day. Allow your child to help you in the kitchen. They are more likely to try something that they helped to make! Also, limit the amount of sweet drinks your child consumes. Make sure they are drinking plenty of water.

Physical Activity
Children are very busy by nature, but due to increased television and video game exposure inactivity can become a bad habit. The American Heart Association recommends that children age two and older have at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per day. Not every child will excel at sports, so it is important to help your child find activities that they enjoy. Reports have shown that more of two hours of daily tv time can lead to impaired performance at school, behavior difficulties and obesity. Become active as a family. Find things to do together!

Choose Joy
Sometimes children can become easily discouraged and upset. Help your child understand the importance of being resilient and staying positive. Praise your child when they are kind to others, accomplish something difficult for them or follow directions. Watch your own mood, it can rub off on your child! Encourage your children to participate in things they enjoy and introduce them to new experiences and people. This will also help them to develop social skills and make new friendships.

New Year’s Resolutions may seem silly or frivolous to some, but it can be a good idea to take a look at ourselves and identify areas that may need improvement. Maybe there are some things on this list that you need to work on yourselves! Make it a family project. Choose some new habits and make them a family priority. This will encourage your children and you to be healthy in the new year!

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Video Script

Happy New Year! Hopefully by now you have recovered from the holidays and are ready to start 2015 off with a bang! Anytime you hear about the New Year it is almost inevitable that you will hear something about New Year’s Resolutions. Television and magazines are full of articles and reports about losing weight, quitting smoking or having a new attitude about money. All of these things are great, but we want to encourage you to include something else this year. Make a promise to yourself to help your children establish healthy habits too. Now, your little one may be a bit small to be making resolutions, but it is never to early to help set the standard for them.

Early childhood is a time when habits can be formed that can affect them for the rest of their lives. As their parents, it is our responsibility to teach children how to lead healthy lives. We can do everything for them for only a little while. So what are some lessons that we can teach our preschoolers about being healthy? Sometimes it feels like kids this age always have some kind of cold or bug going around. This is a great time to teach about washing your hands. If you wash correctly, you can reduce the number of cold, flu and other infections by around 50%! That’s a lot of runny noses and coughs! Teach your kids to wash hands several times a day but especially before eating, and after playing outside, sneezing or coughing and especially after going potty. Another easy way to keep germs at bay is to show kids how to cover their mouth when they cough and to sneeze into their elbow. 80% of germs are transferred by touch when they have been spewed out into the air.

Let’s talk about food for a minute. I have yet to meet a child this age who isn’t somewhat of a picky eater. It is hard to get children to eat healthy when all they want is chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese! Plan your dinners out in advance. Many times the question of “what’s for dinner?” can lead to less than nutritious last-minute meals. Planning them out can take lots of stress off us parents. Make sure that you don’t forget about breakfast. That helps set the tone for our whole day. You can’t expect your kids to make it through their day on an empty tank. Your kid won’t touch veggies? Experiment with different dips. Dressing, hummus or salsa can make plain vegetables much more interesting. Cut back on the amount of junk food in your home. You are in charge of what kinds of food come into your house. If you don’t want your kids to eat it, don’t buy it!

It may seem like at this age that our little ones never slow down. However, we still need to show them the importance of being physically active. Television isn’t a bad thing, in moderation. The last thing you want is a preschool couch potato! Limit the amount of tv your kids are watching and encourage them to play. Regular exercise leads to strong muscles and bones, better sleep patterns and helps to manage weight. Introduce them to a variety of different activities so they can find a favorite. It will be much harder to get them moving when they are older if you don’t do it now.

These are only a couple of the many ways we can teach our children to set healthy habits in their life. Above all, be a positive role model for your child. You can’t expect them to try things that you aren’t willing to do yourself! Don’t be a hypocrite. Your kids will notice if you are being physically active and what you are eating. They want to be just like you.

Be watching out later this month for our next parent email. We will share more tips for kicking off the New Year in a healthy way!

Weekly tweets from you to parents:

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell twitter to store a list of your tweets in one place for later reference.
Tweet One: Habits formed during childhood can affect them throughout their lives. Help them form healthy habits. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet Two: Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet Three: Help your child understand why healthy habits are important. If they understand why they should do something, the more likely they are to do it.#urchurchparentministry
Tweet Four: 70% of obese children grow up to have weight issues as adults. Is your child equipped to make healthy food choices?#urchurchparentministry
Tweet Five: The AMA recommends that children ages 2 and older have at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a day.#urchurchparentministry
Tweet Six: Your children will pick up your habits, both good and bad.#urchurchparentministry
Tweet Seven: Be a model. Show your children what they should do.#urchurchparentministry
Tweet Eight: Enjoy regular dinners as a family. It will help strengthen the family bond and encourage positive relationships. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet Nine: Choose rewards for your child that match the habits you want to form. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet Ten: It takes 21 days of doing something continuously to make it a habit. What healthy habits can you make? #urchurchparentministry

Month 8

The True Meaning of Christmas

Email 1

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: What Christmas is All About – Part one

Parents:
Hopefully by now you are all getting in the Christmas spirit. We have finished with all of our Thanksgiving traditions and now it is time to prepare for the most wonderful time of the year! Sometimes even though we try our hardest to be present and remember the true reason for the season, it can be easy for our children to get caught up in the materialistic aspects of the holiday.

How can you help your child understand that Jesus should be our focus at Christmas? How do we teach them the joy in giving and not turn into miniature Scrooges? This month, we want to help you in teaching your children to truly enjoy and celebrate Christmas and the gift of Jesus.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/112240863/b6a5ef90b9

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject: What Christmas is All About – Part Two

Parents,
Do you feel like your children have lost the true meaning of Christmas? Are they more focused on what Santa is going to bring them and fail to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Our children are surrounded by advertisements and seeing the latest toy or gadget. Combine that with what friends are getting and toy catalogs coming in droves in the mail and you get a bad case of the gimmies!

1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” We must teach our children the joy of giving rather than receiving. What better time to do this than at Christmas when we received the greatest gift of all. We have put together some tips and suggestions to help you with this large task.

First, as parents, we must take a look at ourselves and ask “what are my actions showing my children?”. Are you consumed with the latest gadget and accumulating more stuff? If so, you are teaching your child what to place their focus on too. Practice what you preach. Perhaps it is time to rein in on how much you are spending on your children this Christmas and not overspend. Surveys have shown that Americans plan (on average) to spend nearly $300 per child this year! Is it any wonder that our children can become materialistic this time of year? Help your child to understand the concept of money and how much things cost. If they receive an allowance, help them to prioritize their own money. Set a limit for what they can spend and what must be saved or given.

Many children have no idea how fortunate they are because luckily, they have never known hunger or not receiving gifts at Christmas. We must teach them the difference between a need and a want. Involve them in giving to someone less fortunate. Let them help to choose toys they no longer play with and donate them. Participate in mission projects with your children and talk about why you are giving back. Sponsor a child in a poverty nation or adopt an angel off an angel tree. Children often have empathy for other children. When they see others who are less fortunate firsthand, they may learn to appreciate what they have at home. Hebrews 13:16 says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Take the time to foster positive memories this Christmas that don’t involve consumer products. Bake Christmas cookies together, drive/walk around your neighborhood and look at lights and decorations, or watch Christmas movies as a family. Do not reward them with money or treats all the time, but with praise and the gift of your time. Doing these things will create memories that they will remember long after that toy is long gone and help set characteristics in them to carry into adulthood.

Partnering with you,
Preschool Pastor

Video Script

Can you believe it is nearly Christmastime? It seems like we just celebrated last year! I don’t know about you, but Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. My family loves every part of celebrating the holiday: decorating, the music, the food, sharing gifts and time with family, but most importantly: celebrating the birth of Jesus. However, these days it seems like commercialism takes over in society and Christmas becomes more about receiving than giving. If you were to ask your children what Christmas is all about, what would they say? I’ll be the first to admit that my children can be caught up in what Santa is going to bring to them and forget what is truly meaningful. So how do you reinforce and teach your children what is really important? This month we are
going to talk about how to turn down the materialism and help our children learn the joy of giving and the true meaning of Christmas.

Even children who grow up in a Christian home can get caught up in the commercialism that can surround the holiday. Do you know that some studies have shown that children can be exposed to nearly 40,000 television ads and commercials a year?! These ads are designed to show us products that we just cannot live without. At a young age, children do not possess the ability to distinguish between a need and a want. So guess what, every interesting toy or product they see? They need it, at least in their mind. Try taking your little one
in a toy store this time of year and not buy something. Get ready for a meltdown! I’m not telling you to take down the tree and ban Santa from your home, but how do we teach our children that we should be focused on the ultimate gift of the birth of Jesus and not the latest toy?

Gifts and Christmas usually go hand in hand. So, how should we give? Giving should be about grace. We must teach children that we do not give out of obligation or expectations, but instead to practice selfless giving….giving freely. You cannot give with grace if you are thinking about yourself first. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful heart.” Show them the joy that can be found in serving and giving to others.

We teach by example. Even as adults, it is easy to get caught in the tornado that is Christmas shopping. All you have to do is watch the news after Black Friday sales to see that. And guess what? Materialistic adults produce materialistic children. We must practice what we preach. Take a look at what your focus is on and you will get a good idea of how you are teaching your child to prioritize.

There is a great line at the end of The Grinch That Stole Christmas that says “Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store…maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” How else will children learn the true meaning of Christmas if we, as their parents, don’t teach them? Read the Christmas story from the book of Luke, chapter 2. Read it from a children’s bible so it’s on their terms. Use decorations and allow them to help set up a nativity scene in your home. Attend church together as a family and talk about what they experience there. Bake a birthday cake for Jesus and celebrate his birthday. Even a small child will recognize the importance and significance of a birthday! My family has a tradition every Christmas of watching A Charlie Brown Christmas together. It is one of the few television shows that actually uses scripture to explain what Christmas is all about. These are all ways that we can teach our children about the gift of Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas.

Be watching later this month for our next email. We will share some tips and suggestions for teaching your children how to be grateful for what they have and how to encourage them to be joyful givers.

Weekly tweets from you to parents:

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell twitter to store a list of your tweets in one place for later reference.

Tweet 1 – If you asked your child what Christmas is all about, what would they say? #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 2 – “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” ~Roy L. Smith #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 3 – Kids see about 40,000 tv ads/year. Limit tv time and instead invest in quality family time. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 4 – Teach your children how lucky they are. Do they know the difference between a need and a want? #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 5 – Hebrews 13:16, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what your have for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”#urchurchparentministry
Tweet 6 – Create the tradition of reading the Christmas story from the book of Luke with your children. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 7 – You cannot give with grace if you are thinking about yourself first. What is your motivation for giving? #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 8 – Materialistic adults produce materialistic children. Where is your focus this Christmas? #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 9 – Foster gratitude in your children. Ask them for 2-3 good things that happened today.#urchurchparentministry
Tweet 10 – Teach the value of people over possessions. Help them become joyful givers. #urchurchparentministry

Month 7

Sleep Troubles

Email 1

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Is bedtime a nightmare? Part One

Parents,

When you have an infant at home, sleep becomes a thing of the past. You get used to going on little to no sleep. As your child gets older, you may be hoping that you will be able to have deep, glorious sleep again. Then you realize that bedtime with a preschooler comes with its own set of obstacles.

Psalms 116:7 says, “Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.” Everyone needs good, restful sleep. How do we encourage our preschoolers to embrace bedtime and rest? Take a few minutes and check out this month’s video. We will try to help you understand why bedtime can be so hard for our little ones. Later this month, we will address some practical tips that can help make this easier.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/109633242/336c97ecd6

Thanks,
Children’s Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject: Is bedtime a nightmare? Part two

Parents,

Psalm 4:8 says “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety”.

We all want peaceful nights and restful sleep. That is hard to do when you have a preschooler who is anti-bedtime. Earlier this month, we addressed some of the problems that your child may be having at bedtime. Today we want to share some more practical tips to help make bedtime a little easier.

On average, preschoolers need 10-12 hours of sleep a day, including naps. Sleep is important in their development and overall good health. Resisting bedtime is another way that little ones can try to have control of situations. There are many reasons they may feel the need to do this. They may be delaying fears of the dark or bad dreams. Bedtime is another separation from parents, which can cause some children anxiety. Learning the reason for the resistance can help you know how to work on the problem.

Here are some tips to help out with bedtime:

If your child doesn’t seem tired at bedtime, you may want to scale back on their naps or wake them up a little earlier in the morning.
Read bedtime stories and sing songs in their room. Let them wind down and get comfortable where they will be sleeping.
Give a warning. “After this story, it will be time to go to sleep.” This helps them to feel prepared.
Use reward charts for good sleep behavior. Motivate them to do well!

Sometimes, children will not stay in their bed/room which can make for a very long night for you and them. You cannot allow bedtime to become a power struggle. If your child continues to get up each night, here is some advice from some professionals about what to do:

1st time up after goodnight – Remind your child that it is bedtime and take them back to their bed. Give one quick kiss, say goodnight and leave the room.
2nd time up – Repeat. Use a more firm voice and keep it brief.
3rd time up – Say nothing. Lead the child back to their room, place them in bed and leave the room. Repeat this last step as many times as it takes for them to stay in bed.

Kids will call your bluff, so stick to the routine. This may result in tears, fits and wailing, but be firm. Once they realize that getting up repeatedly isn’t getting them anywhere, they will back off and hopefully stay put.

If your child claims that they can’t go to sleep unless you are with them, you must help them feel secure in going to sleep alone. Follow your calming bedtime routine and offer them a comfort object like a stuffed animal or blanket. Maybe they need a nightlight in their room. Offer to check on them every 10 minutes as long as they stay in bed. If they are still awake when you come in, praise them for being so good and quiet and tell them you will check on them again soon to make sure they are okay. Knowing that you are nearby and coming back soon may be enough for them to get comfortable and feel safe enough to doze off.

Your child may be suffering from a different sort of sleep trouble such as having problems breathing, night terrors, sleepwalking or wetting the bed past the age of five. If any of these are the case, contact your pediatrician. This type of behavior falls in the category of sleep disorders and may require more professional assistance.

We realize how tough hard bedtimes can be on children and their parents. Hang in there and try to stay calm. Many times bedtime problems are just a phase. If you take the proper steps to create a positive atmosphere, it can go by much easier!

Thanks,
Children’s Pastor

Video Script

Every parent has been there. You are past the point of midnight feedings, you no longer have to get up to change diapers and your child has moved out of their crib. You foolishly think that you are about to get good, uninterrupted sleep again for the first time in a long while. Jokes on you, mom and dad. Now you have a preschooler who doesn’t want to sleep. What do you do when your child is antibedtime? This month we are going to work through how to deal when bedtime is a nightmare!

For many parents, their child’s bedtime is the most dreaded part of the day, and for good reason: Unless a preschooler is very tired, he may resist going to sleep. Twenty to thirty percent of children have some sort of sleep disturbances at some point in childhood. The truth is there are many reasons that a child may fighting bedtime. They may be afraid of missing out on something, they may be afraid of something or they are attempting to assert control by rebelling.

If your child is having trouble at bedtime, ask yourself some basic questions to try to narrow down the problem. Is their room too hot or cold? Is it too dark or is there too much light? Is their bed comfortable? Is it too noisy? Are they afraid of something? Is your child even tired? Being able to narrow down what the issue may be is the first step in solving the problem. Some issues, like temperature or light may be an easy fix. Others may take a bit more work.

Take a look at your child’s bedtime habits and see if any of these apply. Does bedtime seem chaotic? Will your child not fall asleep alone? Do they stay up too late? Will they not stay in their bed? Your home may have one of these problems or potentially a little of all of them. We have some suggestions that we hope you will find helpful.

One of the most important things to do is to establish a bedtime routine for your child. Toddlers can really thrive on routines and consistency. Your child’s bedtime routine must be focused on creating a calming, secure atmosphere for them to fall asleep. Most of us have very busy days. We need to help our children to slow down and get ready for sleep. A typical routine may consist of a variety of tasks. The typical routine in my home consists of a warm bath, picking out pajamas, a bedtime story and saying our prayers. We complete this routine almost every night. This allows our kids to wind down from their day and they won’t go to bed without some sort of story. Kids can’t and won’t just stop in the middle of playtime to go to sleep. Creating this quiet, calming bedtime routine is the basis of solving many problems that arise at night. It helps when children know exactly what to expect.

Kids may be afraid that they are going to miss out on something if they go to sleep. This may be especially true if they have older siblings who are still up. You can help to eliminate this by turning off the television or any loud music. Allow your entire house to calm down and it will help them to do the same. Maybe your child refuses to go to sleep alone. They cry and beg for you to stay in their room with them. Know that giving in to this creates a habit that will be hard to break. Set limits and stick to them. Helping your child feel secure will help them become more independent at bedtime. Try to find out, are they scared of something or do they just want more time with you? If you start the habit of staying in their bed, they will expect you to do it every night.

Nightmares are no fun for anyone. However, at this age, they can be especially distressing. Preschoolers have trouble distinguishing what is real and what is not. If your child wakes up afraid of bad dreams, do not belittle them or dismiss their fear. Hold and reassure them that they are safe, talk with them and stay until they are calm. Your child may benefit from a security object such as a blanket or a stuffed animal. Make sure that your child isn’t exposed to scary stories or television shows that may be inappropriate and scare them. Talking about fears during the day can help them to seem less scary and threatening.

If you allow them, your child may spend the entire evening putting off bedtime. One more story, one more kiss, one more drink…they will use every trick they can think of to keep you with them. Once you establish a routine for bedtime, stick with it. As tempting as it will be to give in ‘just this once’, it will only make things harder on you and your child.

Be watching for our second email later this month when we give you some tips and suggestions that will hopefully make bedtime easier for your child and you too!

Weekly tweets from you to parents:

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell Twitter to store a list of your tweets in one place for later reference.

Tweet 1 – 20-30% of children have some sort of sleep disturbances at some point in childhood. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 2 – Preschoolers average 10-12 hours of sleep/day. Is your child getting enough rest? #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 3 – Psalm 4:8 – In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 4 – Toddlers thrive on routine and consistency. Do you have a bedtime routine? #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 5 – Does your child have a favorite bedtime story? If not, help them to discover one. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 6 – Psalm 116:7 -Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 7 – Don’t allow bedtime to become a power struggle. Keep calm and stand firm. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 8 – Children won’t just stop in the middle of playtime and go to sleep. Allow quiet, wind-down time before bed. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 9 – A bedtime routine allows children to know what to expect and helps them to calm down. What is your routine like? #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 10 – It is your job to help your child feel safe and secure. When they do, bedtime can be easier. If you are stressed and frazzled, they will be too. #urchurchparentministry

Month 6

Importance of Play

Email 1

Copy/Paste the following into your email:

Subject Line: Playtime is Important

Parents,

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw

Most of us have probably heard that quote before. As adults, we can forget how important playtime is to kids. We live in a time of rushing and busyness. Rushing to get from place to place and rushing our kids to grow up. Sometimes we forget to let our child just be a kid.

However, playtime is crucial in the development of toddlers and preschoolers. A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that unstructured, free playtime is not only healthy, but essential for children in reaching important social, emotional and cognitive development milestones.

Take a few minutes and check out this month’s parenting class on playtime. We will explore why play is so important for our kids. Later this month, we will dig deeper and explore creative ideas for kids and suggestions for parents.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/107774699/a835499b54

Thanks,
Your Kids Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email:

Subject Line: Why is playtime so important?

Parents,

Earlier this month, we discussed the importance of playtime for our children. We found out that free play is necessary for many types of our child’s development. Today we are going to explore examples of these and how you can help your child make the most of their playtime.

We now know that playtime has a direct result on social and emotional development and cognitive growth. The time before the age of three years old has been referred to as a “critical period” in brain development. Knowing that, as parents it is up to us to provide the most well-rounded opportunities for our child to grow and learn. Playtime is one of the first opportunities that a child has to discover the world. Time for free play has been reduced for some children due to more busy lifestyles, changes in family structures, and an increased number of activities. As parents, we must help to find a balance between structured activities and free play.

You may have a newborn or small infant and think that your child isn’t quite up to playing just yet. At this young age it is up to parents to initiate play and show babies how toys work. You are the one who shakes the toy that makes noise or makes faces and smiles at your baby. This is play for them. This is how they begin to understand how things happen. As a child grows, their play changes. Around the age of two and older, you may be drawn into what they want to do. The older a child is, they will direct the play.

Let’s look into the different types of development with which playtime assists. First, playtime leads to skill development. Infants learn hand-eye coordination by reaching for and playing with toys. As children grow, games and puzzles increase problem solving skills. Has your child ever been so engrossed in what they are doing that they don’t hear you call their name? That playtime is helping with concentration, focusing on a task, expanding attention span and memory. Any type of physical play will assist in maturing large-motor skills and physical development.

Play also aids in a child’s social skills. At first adults are a child’s primary playmate. As children get older, they will enjoy interacting with other children whether it is playing alongside or just observing. This is a way they learn to get along with others and that others have wants and feelings as well. This is where they will learn about sharing, kindness and being part of a group. Social play can strengthen language skills and help children understand social rules.

Playtime helps to cultivate and express a child’s imagination and creativity. When a child is pretending to be a princess or a cowboy they are working through their own ideas and emotions. Coloring, painting, any type of creating falls into this category. Creativity has been shown to help brain development.

Make sure that your children have access to “true toys” like blocks or dolls. Another example could be dress up clothes, play kitchen/household items, and action figures. These toys aren’t electronic and stimulate creativity rather than those that require a more passive participation. Don’t forget to include books at all ages. Just because a child cannot read yet doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t instill a love of books and the pictures/stories inside of them.

Who knew that playtime was so important? Let’s not be in such a hurry for our children to grow up. Allow them to play and make an investment in the person they will become!

Thanks,
Your Kids Pastor

Video Script

Think about this situation. Your child is playing happily. Someone asks you what they are doing? Your response? “Oh, they’re just playing.” Just playing. Almost like we are implying that what our child is doing is somehow unimportant and not a big deal. We are learning though, playtime is so important in the development of children. What they are doing may seem silly or simple to us, but it could be teaching your child valuable life lessons. This month, we are going to examine the importance of playtime.

Let’s be honest. Our lives are busy. People are on the go all the time and everyone is in a hurry. We all have something to do. Little kids, just want to play and have fun. This is often overlooked in our rush to get things done.

First, let’s define what is playtime? There are two basic types: Unstructured, free play and Structured play. Free play is playtime that just happens, depending on what takes your child’s interest at the time. It isn’t planned and it is often coordinated by the child. It let’s your child use their imagination and move at their own pace. An adult may or may not be a part of it. Structured play is organized. It occurs at a fixed time and in a set place. This is usually led by an adult or some sort of instructor. Examples of this are dance classes, story time at the library or even swim lessons. Sometimes we push, even our little ones, to be involved in many structured activities like dance or sports. Organized activities are not bad. Many have very valuable benefits, as does free playtime. There must be a balance between the two and each child’s needs must be taken into account. The American Psychological Association reports that children today have eight fewer hours of free, unstructured play a week than they did twenty years ago due to busy lifestyles, electronics and organized activities.

Studies have shown that play is necessary for many kinds of development: Social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Play is important for healthy brain development, problem solving and boosting language.

These days, there is more pressure on kids than ever before. The Kindergarten and Preschool of today looks totally different than it did twenty years ago. Many parents hold a fear of their child falling behind. All you have to do is look to the toy store shelves to see the enormous number of educational games and toys, some of which are very expensive. Education is so important but there must b3e a balance. Think back for a moment to when you were a kid. What was your favorite toy? I adored by baby dolls and I can remember my brother could make anything out of a simple stick. Be honest, was there anything better than a fort made of blankets or a really huge box? Despite the growing market of expensive toys, children actually need very little to maximize their playtime. Items that may seem simple or that aren’t even actually toys can be just as much fun and increase the use of a child’s imagination.

Playtime can also give parents an opportunity to fully engage with their child and see the world through their eyes. Kids don’t have to necessarily be taught how to play, but parents and teachers are important in helping kids advance through play. So, what are some ways to boost learning through play? Help increase your child’s verbal skills by asking questions about what they are doing. Say things like “Tell me about what you are building.” Challenge their imagination by asking for details as they pretend. If your son is pretending to be a pirate, ask them what kind of treasure they would look for and what their pirate ship is like. It’s also a great time to help them feel independent. Provide materials for them, but allow them to control their actions. This helps them to feel like a big kid.

There is a quote by the author Roald Dahl that says “A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.” That is a great reminder that we need to let our kids be silly and play and just have fun. It may seem simple to us, but it is so meaningful to our children. Be watching later this month for our next parenting email. We will explore the different types of development that playtime stimulates in our kids and great play ideas for them.

Weekly tweets from you to parents:
TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell Twitter to store a list of your tweets in one place for later reference.

Tweet 1 – Playtime provides parents with an opportunity to fully engage with their child. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 2 – The time before the age of three is called a “critical period” in brain development. How are you helping your child learn? #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 3 – “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 4 – Do you remember your most favorite toy as a child? Playtime makes an impact. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 5 – Playtime is one of the first opportunities for a child to discover the world. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 6 – Don’t think of it as “just playing”. It is important. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 7 – Despite the growing market of expensive toys, children need very little to maximize playtime. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 8 – As parents we must find a balance between structured activities and free play. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 9 – Parents and teachers are crucial to help children advance through play. #urchurchparentministry

Tweet 10 – “A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.” -Roald Dahl #urchurchparentministry

Month 5

Discipline

Email 1

Subject Line: Don’t make me count to three!

Copy/Paste the following email:

Parents:

Don’t make me count to three! How many times have those words come out of your mouth? It’s time to talk about one of the hardest parts of being a parent; how to disci-pline your child. Everyone has an opinion about the best way to do it, but we aren’t here to dictate the best way to you. This month, we want to give you some insight as to why your child misbehaves and hopefully give you some solutions to help you.

As parents it is our job to reinforce good behavior and lessons with consistency, pa-tience and compassion, but what is the best way to do that? Have you ever thought to yourself, why is my child acting this way? In order to be the best parent we can be, it is important to get past the behavior and look at the motivation behind it.

Take a few minutes and look at this month’s video on discipline. We will address some issues that we all have to address with our children. Later this month, we will dig a little deeper and give you some ideas and suggestions.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/105162922/6552111e4d

Thanks,

Your Kids Pastor

Children’s Pastor

Email 2

Subject Line: Don’t make me count to three! Part two.

Copy/Paste the following email:

Parents,

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is having to discipline your child. No child is perfect and misbehavior is inevitable, but it is so frustrating!

Try to look at this responsibility in a new way. Punishments are unavoidable, but view it as an opportunity to teach your child how to behave. Also, try to understand why your child is behaving that way in the first place. When a young child misbehaves, they are telling you in the only way they know how that they are feeling discouraged, frustrated or angry. Put yourself in your child’s shoes. Are they intentionally trying to act up or are they being curious? Think of times that your child has misbehaved and look at what else is going on at the time. Are you busy on the phone or making dinner? Is your focus on a sibling or another adult? How long has it been since they had your focus? Sometimes when you stop and look at the big picture, it is easier to understand your child. Perhaps a slight change on your part can improve your child’s focus as well!

Be consistent

Consistency truly is key when it comes to discipline and it is crucial for preschoolers. Little ones may need to hear something thirty times (sometimes more) before it starts to sink in! As hard as it is, you have to be firm on what you expect from your child. Decide what behavior you will allow (or not allow) and stick with it. Don’t send mixed signals! Don’t fail to set limits because you don’t like to see your child frustrated. Giving in to demands just encourages them to pitch a fit the next time they don’t get their way. There has to be a balance. We all need limits. The younger a child is, the more defined those limits should be. You are the one who must teach them what is acceptable and what is not. The world would be a very scary place if there were no limits.

Redirection

Preschoolers are very curious by nature. We want our children to explore and discover the world, but they have to be safe. They also have a fairly short attention span. Make sure you take away temptations to misbehave. Remove them from the area. Redirect them to a new activity and/or location. Offer them something to do that will not result in bad behavior.

Be on the same page

Make sure that everyone who is responsible for your child is on the same page as far as behavior and what is okay. If there are different rules at home than there are at grandma’s house, it will be very easy for misbehaving to occur. Be a model for your child’s behavior. Show your kids what you want them to do. If they are playing too rough, show them how to play nice. Make it very clear what you expect from them. This way there is no question whether or not they understand. You must be involved in raising your child. They aren’t just going to automatically know how to behave.

Consequences

There of course will be times that consequences are necessary. This is where parents use different techniques like warnings, time outs, or withholding privileges or treats. Different consequences will work differently on each child. You may have to discover what is effective for your child. Whatever you do, don’t discipline your child out of anger. Count to ten and cool off before you act. An important tip, praise good behavior. Acting out is a sure-fire way to get attention. Praising them when they are doing well lets your child know that they don’t just get attention by misbehaving. Show them that good behavior will also get them the attention that they crave.

Discipline is not about what we are doing to our kids, but rather what we are doing for them. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. Give them the training they need. Make it easy for your child to do the right thing!

Children’s Pastor

Video Script

Thank you for joining us at parentministry.net for this month’s online parenting class. Our topic today is one that we as parents have to deal with probably every day…how and when to discipline our child.

We’ve all been there, in a public place and you hear a child pitching a fit, misbehaving or crying. We’ve all thought to ourselves, “If that were my child…(fill in the blank)”. And you know what, sooner or later, it will be your child. Even the most even-tempered child has their bad days. Misbehavior is so frustrating. None of us want to raise a spoiled brat, but we also want to foster independence and let them be their own person. How do you balance it?

Deciding how to discipline your child is something that is up to every parent. However, it is also very important to learn why kids misbehave and how we can make the most out of a trying and hard situation. When dealing with preschoolers, it may be beneficial to look at discipline as an opportunity for teaching, rather than a source of punishment. Most of the time, kids aren’t trying to be malicious, they are just being kids and they don’t think the same way adults do. Things that may make sense to us can be a foreign concept to them. Sometimes parents can overreact out of anger and frustration and not see the behavior for what it is…your child just being a child. You’ve just caught them coloring on the wall. To you, it’s a horrible mess and you don’t understand why they would do that. To a two year old, it is a masterpiece that they worked so hard on after they found some crayons! It is up to us to teach them what kind of behaviors are acceptable and which are not.

The most important thing to remember when approaching discipline is to be consistent. Decide which behavior you will allow and stick with it. These limits will be different for each family. What works for your friends, what they allow their children to do may not be right for your family. As a parent, it is your job to set limits for your child. Everyone, regardless of age, needs limits. The younger the child, the more defined the limits need to be. Limits, within reason, provide security. Don’t look at it as a restriction, but a way to protect your curious child.

Many times, children act out because they want attention. That may not make sense to us because they are getting in trouble, but they crave attention at this age regardless of the kind. Make sure that you are praising your child for what they do well. Show them that they will receive attention for good behavior. Also, make sure that you are on the same page as your spouse when it comes to family rules. Mixed messages will only confuse your child and make it harder on everyone.

I have two children of my own and I don’t think I could have been blessed with two any different from each other! My son has a precious, tender-hearted soul. His emotions are always just below the surface and he is definitely my worrier, the one always concerned about others. My daughter on the other hand is my free spirit, stubborn and fiercely independent. She has an opinion about everything and she’s not afraid to tell you about it! My husband and I have learned very early on that the same parenting techniques don’t work the same for them. We have to change things up depending on which child we are dealing with at that time.

Parenting is hard work and some days go much more smoothly than others. Make a plan for when those bad days happen and stick with it. Provide a consistent environment for your child. It will help them to understand what is expected of them and what the consequences are if they misbehave. Today we have just scratched the surface of discipline and our preschoolers. Later this month be watching for our next parenting class email. We will dig a little deeper into some techniques and tools that will hopefully help you to make a plan that works for your family and maybe give some insight that you haven’t considered before when it comes to discipline.

Weekly tweets from you to parents

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell twitter to store a list of your tweets in one place for later reference.

Tweet 1 – Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 2 – Make it easy for your child to do the right thing. #urchurch-parentministry
Tweet 3 – As parents is is your job to reinforce lessons with consistency, patience and compassion. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 4 – Do you look at discipline as an opportunity for teaching or pun-ishment? #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 5 – Be a model. Show your kids what you want them to do. #ur-churchparentministry
Tweet 6 – You must decide what is acceptable behavior and stick with it. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 7 – Discipline isn’t about what we are doing to our kids, but for them. #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 8 – Be consistent in your parenting – don’t send mixed signals. #ur-churchparentministry
Tweet 9 – Misbehavior is frustrating. Do you have a plan to deal with it? #urchurchparentministry
Tweet 10 – Teach your child that the world is full of yes and no’s and how to deal with them. #urchurchparentministry

Month 4

Monsters Under the Bed: Understanding Kid Fears

Email 1

Copy/Paste the following email

Subject line: Understanding Your Child’s Fear of the Dark

Parents,

Never fails: After an exhausting day at work, you are getting your child ready for bed and gently tucked in. You lean down to kiss his forehead softly and turn away to close the bedroom door. On your way out you flick the switch to his lamp off. Suddenly, there is uncontrollable sobbing and your child’s rapid heartbeat. You stand in the doorway debating whether or not to go back inside and comfort your child or simply close the door and let him cry it out.

But, you must ask yourself, what is he thinking? Is he thinking that he cannot see what is out there and he feels unprotected in the dark? Most children are afraid of the dark on some level – it is a very common fear of the unknown. To combat this fear, try teaching your child how to turn on lights around the house, and add a night-light to his bedroom. Allow your children to control the amount of light they have on when they go to sleep and gradually decrease it over time. Help your child understand darkness by going on a night walk together and discussing all the new and interesting things you can see when it is dark

Take some time to check out this month’s video to see how you can deal with your child’s fear. Later in the month you’ll receive some practical tools for how to prevent some fears and help your child deal with fears when they do take place.

https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/102090867/95aa561824

Thanks,
Children’s Pastor

Email 2

Copy/Paste the following email

Subject line: What to do when your child is afraid

Parents,

Everyone, from the youngest child to the oldest adult, experiences anxieties and fears at one time or another. Feeling anxious in a particularly uncomfortable situation never feels very good. However, with children, such feelings are not only normal, they are also necessary. Dealing with anxieties can prepare young children to handle the unsettling experiences and challenging situations of life.

Young children can get spooked by just about anything — the dark, the wind, or even a favorite stuffed animal. Or they seem to sail through a real frightening situation, only to become afraid of something days or weeks later. No matter how scared your child gets, childhood fears are usually nothing to worry about. They are normal emotions that help your children figure out how the world works.

Take a deep breath and try to understand why your child is afraid. Some other ways to handle fears are listed below:

Let your child know that you take their fears seriously.
Give your child truthful information on topics such as death or war, and let them know you are willing to answer any questions.
Encourage your child to confront the object of their fear, such as dogs, one step at a time at their own pace. For example, perhaps start with pictures, then try a very small, gentle dog that is tied up, so the child decides how close to get.
Allow your child some control. For example, if they are afraid of intruders, make shutting and locking their bedroom window one of their night-time responsibilities.
Daily routines and rituals give a child a sense of stability and security, and may ease general anxiety.

There is no doubt about it. Life can be scary at times for children. We cannot keep our children from everything they fear—nor should we even try, but we can help them learn ways to be brave. It is an important step to growing up.

Thanks,
Children’s Pastor

Video Script
Thank you so much for joining us today as we discuss a topic that may be very familiar to some of you out there: understanding your child’s fears. Many of our children’s fears seem mystifying or irrational, but to them the world is full of threats pertaining to the unknown. Most fears fade as children develop, but if your child’s fears persist and totally preoccupy him, he will need your help to overcome them. Now, I am far from being an expert on this issue but I am currently dealing with this situation at home with my child and I am hoping to shed some light on the topic for other parents in my situation.

Two and three year olds are creatures of habit. Any unfamiliar sight or sound, a strange animal getting too close or ear-splitting sirens can send them into a panic. Often, children are afraid of harmless things, such as the vacuum cleaner. The reason: Even though they are aware of their environment, they do not yet understand everything that happens in it. Your child may know that a vacuum cleans up dirt, but is not sure it will not suck him up too! Children’s fears often stem from a scary experience. For example, a child who cried when his birthday balloons popped might become afraid of all balloons.

As parents we often have to become detectives in order to figure out what are child is truly afraid of. If your child cannot or refuses to tell you what is scaring him, look for clues. I remember a time when I could not figure out why my two year old son sometimes panicked when he got dressed until I realized that it happened only when he wore shirts that button. He could not undo buttons yet, so I think he felt trapped in his shirts.

I have put together a few tips that will help your child deal with their fears and eventually overcome them – -real and imaginary:

Try to understand your child’s fear: Young children are still discovering the world that they live in. Their imagination is developing and hence whatever they see/ hear in real life can result in formation of scary mental images. Talk to your child: Talking to your child will definitely make him feel more comfortable. If your child is old enough, let him share his fear with you. Ask him to explain what is it that he is scared of and why? Let him explain how he felt. Show him your concern while he discusses his fear with you. Tell him how you were also scared of several things as a child. This empathy will definitely strengthen your bond with your child as he starts believing that you care and are concerned about his feelings. Give the right message: Don’t send wrong messages to your child by saying things like: “Stop being a Baby”, “Don’t be scared”, “See, your friend is not scared”, etc. This makes the child believe that it is wrong to be scared and he/she will stop sharing his fears with you. Tell your child that it is all right to be afraid. Also, explain that it is OK to share his fear and ask for help. Do not ignore their fear: If your child is scared of a particular relative, caregiver or a neighbor, do not ignore it or force the child to be with them. Instead, speak to your child about it and let him explain what makes that person fearful. Even if you think that the person is unlikely to cause any trouble to the child, ALWAYS give your child some benefit of doubt. Do not force your child to do something that he/ she is scared of: Forcing the child will only worsen their fear. Allow your child to take his/ her own time to adjust and overcome his fears. Support him with all the love and care that you can. Model being brave: Ever heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words?” If you freak out at something, chances are your child will also react in the same manner. Your child believes if something or someone is safe for you, it is safe for him too. Keep children away from fearful characters: A young child cannot differentiate between reality and fantasy. Children do get scared of the fantasy characters that they watch on TV. Turn off the scary TV shows. Offer to walk with the child through the house/room/area that the child associates fear with. Open all the doors, look under the bed – use light to show that nothing is there. If your child is frightened by sounds or shadowy images, discuss what could actually be causing these sounds in a non-judgmental way. Reward brave behavior: It is not easy facing fears. Using rewards can encourage brave behavior. Children respond to praise and encouragement. For example, you can say: “You did it! You played at your friend’s by yourself.” “You did a great job of introducing yourself to the other kids!” and “I’m proud of you for sleeping in your own room.” When your child is facing strong fears, it may be helpful to use specific rewards as motivation to achieve.

Although, helping your child face their fears may be tough at times it is important to understand that fear is essential for survival. It helps us escape dangerous situations. But if your child’s fears keep him from engaging in everyday activities, it may be time to seek help from other parents you trust or professionals. Some children’s fear systems are much more sensitive than others. Anxious children may be trapped in a whirlwind of fearful thoughts, and paralyzed by nagging “what ifs.” According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 13 percent of children are affected by anxiety disorders, which include phobias, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Talk with your pediatrician or school psychologist if your child’s fears are overwhelming you both.

Later this month be on the lookout for the upcoming parenting class email. We will continue focusing on this issue and providing more helpful information.

Weekly tweets from you to parents

TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell twitter to
store a list of your tweets in one place for later reference.

TWEET #1- Recognize that your child is not trying to make your life miserable or difficult. He or she is simply responding in a very childlike way to something feared. #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #2- Remember, fear is sometimes, but not always a rational response. #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #3- Help your child learn to be brave by rewarding and praising brave behavior. It is much better to reward and encourage your child to be brave than to punish and/or humiliate them for being scared. #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #4- Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.-1 Peter 5:7 #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #5- Accept that bravery happens over time and be patient. #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #6- Over time, your child will likely be able to master their fears and possibly even enjoy something they once found threatening. #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #7- Help your child learn strategies to cope. Breathing and counting exercises often help people calm down and refocus on something besides possible pain and discomfort. #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #8 -Information about a real threat versus a perceived threat can also be helpful. Distraction can be useful. The main idea here is that focusing our thoughts on one thing prevents us from concentrating all our thoughts on another, i.e., the potential pain or threat. Sometimes children may even have ideas of their own as to what to do, but the key ingredient is to practice, practice, practice, well in advance. #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #9- Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10 #urchurchparentministry
TWEET #10 – When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.-Psalm 56:3 #urchurchparentministry