Impact Your Kids For Eternity

What is the most important single thing you can do for your children?

Pray for your kids.
               by Susie E. Caron   (c) 9/21/2014

Most parents work hard to prepare their kids to grow up healthy and strong, to become productive and happy in adulthood, build a career, have a family and bring them grandchildren. That's all very important and necessary. But, your kids are only really yours for a very short time. Your 'instructional impact' is actually shorter than the first 18 years of life.

From 0-5 years, you have the greatest impact because they figure you are God's right hand
and everything you tell them is absolutely true.
From 6-9 they sort of believe you, but they begin to believe others too - peers, teachers, coaches, etc. (Your fall from grace has begun.)
From 10-13 years, your 'teaching' impact is greatly reduced because they want you to be invisible and they pretend that no parents were involved in their appearing on this earth. (However, they want you to show up to cheer at all the events in which they participate.)
From 14 years and up, your actual ability to impart new teaching is dismally low. Teens are proud of themselves for having survived your earlier tutelage. However, they continue to  want your approval of all their endeavors, but without your interruption or interference. (They wish!)

The reality is that parents and other well meaning adults who work with kids, actually only have about a decade in which to have the greatest impact to teach children what we want them to know about themselves, family, friends, religious, moral, ethical standards, about life and country. How can you prepare them for more? There is a way to hold far greater impact, and an influence that lasts much longer- even into eternity.

You can pray for your children. Yes, pray.

Pray for their health and well being. Pray for their teachers, coaches and future employers. Pray for their decisions, standards and choices. Pray for their relationships, especially with themselves, with God, and their family. Finally, pray, because it is possible that your kids are all that you have on earth that you may see again in Heaven.

Twee' Means You and Me
Susie E. Caron

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