Hats Off to Mothers of Preschoolers!

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

I had the privilege recently of caring for a friend’s 5-year old son while his little brother was in the hospital. I work part-time as a dental hygienist, and just like it’s good for me to physically sit in the chair every now and then to remind myself of how it feels to be a dental patient, caring for this kindergartener has been a wonderful reminder of how it is to parent a preschooler. 

Mothers of preschoolers, my hat is off to you! 

How quickly I had forgotten some of the interesting characteristics of 5-year-olds: boundless energy, insatiable curiosity, and an uncanny ability to make a mess with everything they touch. Not to mention not sleeping very well at night (them and you), announcing loudly every time they have to go to the bathroom (even in church), and an irrational fear of vegetables. I also remembered one universal quality that quickly became apparent soon after Seth’s arrival.

I remembered that 5-year-olds don’t know how to think silently. Every thought that occurs to them must be spoken aloud. Since Seth doesn’t come from a Christian home, many of his thoughts were about our practices as Christians. 

“Why do you close your eyes when you pray?” 

 “Why do you say, ‘Amen’?” 

“Why do you thank God for our food when we get it from the grocery store?” 

“What’s a Bible?” 

These were all questions my own children asked, but somehow Seth’s questions were especially exciting, because I was watching him begin to understand there is a God in Heaven who cares about him and his family. 

If you're a parent of a young child, or an older one for that matter, take heart. With each diaper you change and runny nose you wipe, every mess you clean up and Lego block you step on, you are earning the right to answer his questions. 

You are the privileged one who gets to teach her to fold her little hands to pray and drop her nickels and quarters into the offering plate each Sunday. You are there to hear him sing “God can do anything!” and whisper his prayers at bedtime. 

These moments are worth every sacrifice you make. Not every child has a parent like you. Not every child knows from before he can speak that Jesus loves them. Not every child knows God hears and answers prayers. Not every child knows that her mommy and daddy love God. Not every child knows what you know, and it is your privilege to teach them. 

 Application Questions: 

 1.  What are some of the characteristics of children that you most enjoy? 

2.  Which characteristics challenge you the most? 

3.  What are you doing to prayerfully point your young ones to Christ? 

 Action Step for This Week: 

Think about what a great privilege it is to teach and train our children to love God. Commit to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason for the hope that lies within you, with meekness and fear.” (I Peter 3:15) Apply this principle to your interaction with your children, intentionally looking for opportunities to point them to Christ during your day to day interactions. 

Prayer of Commitment: 

“Lord, thank You so much for the awesome privilege and responsibility You have given me to teach and train our children to know and love You. Help me never to take that responsibility lightly, but to be diligent and intentional about it. Keep me mindful of the fact that the days of my children’s youth go by so quickly. Help me never to wish those days away, but to enjoy every minute, even the challenging ones. I know that You as my heavenly parent provide the greatest example of patient parenting. Help me to follow Your example as I parent my children with the strength and wisdom that comes from You.” 

  Homeschooling is HARD!

This post is a sample from Lori's new devotional book, Joy in the Journey - Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms. 

With a devotion for every week of the school year, Joy in the Journey helps remind you that God wants to be a vital, active part of your homeschool. Each chapter contains devotions specific to what a homeschooling mom encounters each month, application questions, an action step, and a prayer. It's suitable for personal devotions or for use by your support group for meeting topic ideas.

You've invested in wonderful curriculum for your children's  school year, why not invest in something for yourself?

To read more about Joy in the Journey and what other homeschooling moms are saying about it, click here.

To order a paperback copy from Mardel, click here. 
To order an Ebook from Amazon, click here.


To read the post "Homeschooling--The hardest thing I've ever done" Click here.
To read the post "Homeschooling--When you've lost your joy," Click Here.
To read the post "Homeschooling and God's mercy--When you feel like a failure," Click Here.
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