Capturing Your Child’s Heart
Episode 255
Capturing your child’s heart a life-long relationship is forged. Do you realize that most of the time a little child does something for you out of love? What happens to that love as the child grows, and why do children often grow up and become distant an sullen? In this episode of Vintage Homeschool Moms, we explore the relationships between parents and children and five sure-fire ways, that you can do, at any time to capture your child’s heart.
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Capturing your child’s heart doesn’t happen overnight. As a young teacher, the big emphasis was on experiential learning, and self-esteem. It was the 70’s and that era was all about love. I soon realized that if I didn’t have my student’s heart, I didn’t have them listening to me either. Education was tied into obedience. While I might be equipped to capture my child’s heart through engaging education, fun activities, crafts, art, field trips and the like, could I capture my child’s heart in the ways that were most important? To me, the importance of capturing my child’s heart was not only to teach my child but to encourage a Christian walk.
Capturing your child’s heart takes God~
God made us in such an incredible and amazing way! We process in our minds, our brains but we feel in our heart! Love is something we often can’t understand. I’m so blessed to have the most amazing children (not perfect) but perfect for me. My kids challenge me, they make me the best I can be as their mom and they push the boundaries to the limit.
As I look back at my years as a mom I can see that for some of my children it was harder work to keep their hearts and for others it was easy. Sometimes it lies in the personality of a child but most of the time, we parents are at fault. We may push or prod and all that does is push a child away.
Years ago I was at a friend’s home who had been a science teacher at a high-end private school and had retired years ago. When she learned I was a homeschool mom who loved science she invited me to see her science equipment and asked if there was anything I wanted. Her youngest son was attending the local college and he walked in as I was excitedly looking through all the boxes and kept asking her if she really wanted to give it all away! She did. Here was this amazing sweet lady, who turned into a drill sergeant the minute her son walked in. One question after another. Her son looked hurt, then angry. They had a disagreement and he went to his room. I looked at my friend and she admitted she was a bit harder on the youngest. I reminded her, you didn’t even say, “Hello, how was your day?”
Do we launch into a laundry list of things when we see our kids? Did you finish your school work? Did you make your bed? Did you take out the trash? Etc. etc., etc. Discipline is necessary in every home, however being a drill-sergeant is not…
So, how do we capture the hearts of our children? It takes an effort, it takes time and it takes dying to self and falling on our knees to apologize to the Mighty One, the Maker of heaven and earth. Are we in a good relationship with the Lord – is that where our strength comes from or are we flying solo and aimlessly and then upset with our kids. Friends, I’m a busy person and if I’m not busy I will create 102 things to make me busier, just because. I’m often short with my children and when that happens I apologize – that is how to capture your child’s heart because they realize you do love them.
Show Notes: Capture Your Child’s Heart
- Little kids, lots of love
- When does the love change?
- What do you do about it?
Solutions to capture your child’s heart
- Respect
- eye contact
- positive and uplifting
- attack the crime, not the child
- don’t be cheap on the hugs
- Engage
- take time
- talk to your child but also listen
- no devices
- encourage
- Identify a need
- what is the problem?
- what are the solutions – ask your child
- translate solutions into practice
- Empower
- Overused – but let’s use it for good!
- Allow your child to make mistakes – gently correct
- Encourage your child that you trust them
- Encourage your child to make the right decisions
- Don’t sabotage your child
- Moral Truth
- Allow God in their lives by presenting the situations – attending church, Bible studies, etc. If it’s not available, create it.
- Pray for with your child
- Encourage your child to grow in the Lord
- Applaud any increase in faith and knowledge – small and large
Being there for your child is half the battle. Home should be a safe place, a place where our children grow, are nourished and can become stable citizens. Let’s pray that our children can make the Lord proud and we are just happy bystanders!
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Thank you Felice! Just the encouragement and advice I needed to help start this week off right. Have a blessed week.
Oh, Charity — how sweet! The advice we all need to hear, thanks for your kind words and I pray you too have a blessed week!
mediaangels, thank you for this post. Its very inspiring.