Seven Functions of Great Parenting

by Donna Steward

“If you teach children the right way to live, they will not forget it when they are older” (Proverbs 22:6 Easy English Bible).  

As a concerned parent, you may feel overwhelmed by contradictory advice you hear on raising your children. Understandably, you want what’s best for your little ones; and with so much conflicting information, it can be difficult to know which path to take.

Children need strong and loving parents. As you can navigate the maze of information to find the right approach that works for you and your family, you may want to consider the following seven functions of great parenting.

Provider

Ensuring your child’s overall well-being is crucial. While providing them with healthy food is important, nurturing their spiritual, mental, emotional, and social growth is vital as well. Teach them to play and pray, laugh and cry, express sadness correctly, and recover from loss and grief. Teach them to think, listen, and learn — and, above everything else, teach them about God.

Guardian

Parents have the challenging task of finding the proper amount of protection without over protecting. Physical protection requires constant vigilance in today’s violent world.

As parents, we want to safeguard our children’s minds and nurture them with the correct values. We can do this by setting an example in our behavior and teaching them to avoid agnosticism, prejudice, and hatred. Only then can we hope to raise a compassionate, open-minded, and loving generation. It’s essential to ensure our children are equipped to navigate the dangers of the world’s teachings that are counter to Christianity, teaching them to guard against the allure of superficiality and materialism, which can be detrimental to their growth and well-being. We prepare our children to make wise decisions and lead meaningful lives by instilling in them godly values.

Inventiveness

All of us want to be parents who are creative in correcting our children, instructing them how to spend money wisely and plan for the future, and teaching them the truth of God. This wonderful Old Testament passage outlines the importance of knowing who God is, how we are to respond to Him, and how to incorporate the process of teaching into our daily routines.

“Listen, Israelites! The Lord alone is our God. There is no other true God. Love the Lord your God with all your mind and with all your strength. Love him with all that you are. Always think about these commands that I am giving you today. Teach them to your children at all times. Talk about them when you sit together at home. Talk about them as you walk along the road, lie down, and get up. Tie them as signs on your arms and heads so that you remember them. Write them on the wood beside the doors of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 EEB).

Education

Children can understand what is morally right and wrong, especially when parents teach them values such as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version). These values will help them become responsible adults and prepare them for a meaningful life. Parents help their children develop a strong foundation for their future by instilling these qualities in them.

Motivation

Blessing your children with truth, encouraging them to strive for success, and guiding them to discover their purpose in God’s plan are crucial to inspiring them to lead a meaningful life. As a parent, it’s important to bless your children and refrain from cursing them to instill this sense of motivation. God prompted Paul to write in Colossians 3:20 – 21 (EEB), “Children, always obey your parents. That pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not cause your children to be upset. If you do, they might think that they never do anything that is good.” When parents bless their children, it is easier for them to be obedient and motivated to do their best.

Give Your Children Back to God

As parents, our ultimate goal is to instill in our children a deep respect and reverence for God. We want them to grow up to be adults who make a positive difference in the world and leave a lasting impact on the lives of others. By prioritizing our children’s spiritual and moral growth, we can help them develop the character and values they need to succeed. Our mission is to raise God-fearing adults whose lives genuinely matter. This process will be more reassuring when children leave the parents’ home because they likely will depend more on the heavenly Father’s perfect care.  They will know they can rely on God for comfort and guidance during times of uncertainty and that they have a loving heavenly Father who looks out for them and provides for their needs.

A Place for Returning

Returning to where everything began can be a great way for children to reflect on their personal growth and progress over time. Revisiting a place where they started can be a powerful experience that reminds them of their growth. Home is where childhood memories are made, and the place where the foundation for their relationship with God should be laid. Children may temporarily stray away and rebel from their relationship with God; however, they often return to the teachings they received in their early years, despite initial resistance. As the Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 New King James Version).