What should I teach my children?

Time flies after giving birth and all the sleepless nights of having a newborn child. Now, maybe you are wondering what comes next after changing diapers. 

First-time parents may also wonder how or what they should teach their children as they grow up. 

One of the crucial roles of parenting is not just to provide for their basic needs such as shelter, clothing, food, and education.

More than giving them the necessities here on earth, it is training and shaping them into the people they will be. 

We are the first and lifetime teachers of our children. How and what we teach will significantly affect how they deal with life. 

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

What should we teach our child? Are we capable, as first-time parents, of training these human beings so they can fulfill their purpose in life? 

Essential things we should teach our children

We, as parents, have nothing to worry about because, first of all, God has chosen you to become His partner in raising and nurturing those children who belong to Him.

Besides, our Heavenly Father will be with you and give you wisdom on what to teach our kids.

Here are some Biblical teachings we should pass on to our children.

Teach them who their Creator is

The very first thing we should teach our children is their Creator. We could tell them the creation story when they were two years old. They would know that God created them.

Colossians 1:16 says, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

Additionally, it would be a great way to start building their foundation, as young as they are. 

The more we teach about God, the more they will know their identity in Him. In this way, they would not be confused when they grew up.

Teach them how to pray

As we teach our kids about our Creator, we should also teach them how to communicate with God. 

Let us teach our children how to pray so that prayer becomes a part of their lives when they get older.

Before eating meals, you can teach them to thank the Lord for their blessings. A simple “Thank you, Lord Jesus” could make a difference. 

By teaching them how to pray, they are learning to be grateful for the things they have.

Also, you are training them to depend on God, our Heavenly Father. 

Thus, the more they pray, the closer they get to God and discover His faithfulness and beauty.

Love the Lord, our God

God's first and foremost command is to love Him as our Lord with all our hearts and minds. 

The earlier we teach our children to love God completely, the easier it is for them to adopt it as they grow up.

Moreover, it does not have to be theological or systematic. We can lead by example through our words and deeds. Our kids learn more from what they see than what they hear. 

Let us show our reverence for God by obeying His commands and will, so our children will follow us.

“Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.” - Gecko and Fly.

Thus, we love our Lord God with all our hearts and minds, so our children can do the same.

Jesus as a superhero

If children were asked who their favorite superhero is, they would answer Spiderman, Superman, and other superheroes they watch. 

Yet, teaching our kids about the real superhero, Jesus Christ, is good.

As parents, we should teach them how Jesus Christ saved us from our sins when He died on the cross and was resurrected after three days. 

We can be creative to make the story appealing to them, especially for younger children.

You can read Jesus' stories before they go to bed. This way, we could teach them that Jesus will rescue them in trouble.

Teach them values pleasing to God

Our role is to shape our children’s characters. We can use Bible characters to help us teach them the traits that please the Lord and tell them about Noah’s righteousness and obedience to God.

Besides, we can share the faithfulness of Abraham when he was tested to sacrifice his son. 

Also, we can teach them the consequences of those who disobey God, just like the Israelites did after God saved them in Egypt. 

More importantly, we could teach them the fruits of the Holy Spirit, such as patience, love, kindness, and more. We can do this effectively by modeling it for them. 

Teach them to love themselves

One of our jobs as parents is to make our children feel loved, so they can learn to love and respect themselves. We should show them how to take care of and protect themselves. 

Additionally, when they learn to love themselves in God’s ways, they will not be tired and disappointed in seeking validation from others. 

Loving themselves could help them not compare their lives with others so that they could enjoy their blessings.

Teach them not to give up

We should help our children develop their resilience and courage so that when they face difficulties, trials, and brokenness, they will not easily give up on their dreams. 

As parents, we are one of our children’s most effective support systems. 

By giving them words of affirmation about their gifts and talents, we are training them to be strong, especially in times of struggles. 

More importantly, our part is to teach them how to handle failure. Most children nowadays do not have enough self-esteem to believe in themselves. 

When they know how to respond when things are falling apart, they will not stop attaining what they want.

Teach them to trust in Lord with all their heart

Trusting the Lord is our children’s tool to win their battles. When they know they can rely on God, our kids will be confident they can overcome everything. 

The more you teach your children how to trust God, the more you give them strength.

Additionally, when they learn to trust the Lord with all their heart, mind, and strength, they learn to be humble and realize they cannot do anything without Jesus. 

More importantly, the number of younger people committing suicide is increasing. 

To save our children from doing this, we should teach them that God can help them in their struggles and pain. 

Our children may not tell us everything, but God knows them well, even their hair numbers. They should know that God is their ever-present help in times of trouble.

Teach them to do and speak good

We must teach our children that serving and doing good to others is part of their purpose. 

We should not tell them to only care for their needs and be selfish. They should know how to be sensitive to the needs of others, just like Jesus.

The goal is to help God make our children like Jesus Christ, who is compassionate to those in need. 

Furthermore, we should teach them how to be careful with their words. They should know that our words can bless or curse people.