Urgent Need: During the summer months, giving typically slows as the focus turns to time off and vacations. But family ministry doesn’t stop! We need your help to continue standing strong for life, marriage, and family. Will you become one of the supporters needed by 11:59 p.m. on August 31?
Please give now to continue providing biblical resources to save and strengthen families.
Urgent Need: During the summer months, giving typically slows as the focus turns to time off and vacations. But family ministry doesn’t stop! We need your help to continue standing strong for life, marriage, and family. Will you become 1 of the supporters needed before 11:59 p.m. on August 31?
September 9, 2016
Teaching children to respond with kindness even when others are bothersome.
My 3-year-old son, Easton, and I were at the
park one day when I ran into some acquaintances and their children. I
introduced my son to the other kids, and a 6-year-old boy started
calling him by the wrong name, as if to tease or annoy him. Seeing how
the wrong name upset my child only encouraged the older boy to continue.
I told my son to ignore the teasing, but it really seemed to bother him.
As we left, my son asked, “Why did that boy keep saying the wrong
name? That’s not my name.”
I wanted to tell him that the other
child was just being rude, but since my son would likely face similar
situations with other kids in the future, I recognized the incident as a
teachable moment.
First, I told my son that we often don’t
understand why people do upsetting or hurtful things. If we saw this
child again, our goal would be to treat him kindly, to help him behave
better by modeling loving actions.
So I told my son, “I don’t
know why he acted like that, but you know what we should do? Pray for
him!”
On the car ride home, we prayed for the boy in the park and
asked the Lord to help him be kinder and treat others as God would want
him to. I immediately felt better about the whole situation, as did my
son. Through this experience, he learned to pray for those who try to
annoy him, especially when there’s nothing he can do to change the
situation. Praying for others also allows our children to see other
children not as enemies, but as human beings with problems of their own.
Emily Downs lives near the shores of Lake Michigan with her husband and son. Her passion is to encourage Christians through her writing and speaking ministry. Her work is published internationally and can be found in magazines, books, on the radio, and in film.
Read More About:
Sometimes, when we meet our spouses, our differences attract us to one another. But then those differences can be frustrating once we’re married. If you’re finding that’s the case in your relationship, here are five strategies that might help.
Relating to different personalities is not always easy. Take the quiz to find out and understand the unique strengths within your family and how to better relate to one another.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of settling into a routine of all the things we do for our kids, and assume we are parenting well.
Every parent has strengths. Discover your natural parenting approach and learn practical ways to help your family thrive.
