Parenting by Design - January 31

Redefining "Service"

Proverbs 18:9: One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys (NIV).

When my kids were growing up, I often felt guilty for requiring them to contribute to the running of the household. Thoughts such as "They're so tired" and "Isn't a mom supposed to serve the family?" ran through my mind. Sometimes I rationalized taking on responsibilities that should have been theirs because I thought that was what a "giving" mother should do. In addition, it was often less trouble for me to just go ahead and do their chore for them! 

The truth is my idea of serving often just enabled their irresponsible behavior. I needed to redefine what it meant to serve my family. God instructs parents to teach their kids how to handle responsibility. Although it may require more from us as parents, we are doing our kids a far greater service when we resist doing something they need to do for themselves.

Serve your kids by teaching them how to serve others.