Advice for Parents: Train up your child in the way he should go.

Proverbs 22:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.

The Bible verse is very specific about the responsibility of parents when it comes to bringing up their children. Sometimes I get the feeling that parents think because it is in the Bible, it refers only to spiritual things, not the everyday little things.

The verse refers to all things. It includes the way to cook, the way to greet elders, the way to eat at table, the way to dress and many more. Some parents shout at their children and tell them that their children do not know how to do this and how to do that when they have never invested in training the children.

The family is the nucleus of society and every child is supposed to learn most of life's values from its family. So if the family presents a conducive setting; with the parents lovingly teaching and setting good examples, the children will learn and imbibe the good values. Parents should not leave the setting of good values to the school authorities and the environment. The ones that do end up blaming the society and schools for the immoral values of their corrupt children.

As parents, we need to own up to the responsibility of training our children. 

Here are some things you should know:

1. As parents, we are responsible for the actions of our children. Whether good or bad, it is not the fault of the society or the environment.
2. As fathers, bringing home the bacon is not enough. We need to be available to groom our children.
3. The best way to teach our children is by our actions. We should walk our talk. 
4. Teach your children about the love of God. Teach them to know and obey God.
5. Loving parents model a loving God. Most children will understand the love and kindness of God through the way their parents treat them.
6. Allow your children make mistakes. 
7. Show and demonstrate the integral part of discipline in raising children. Show your children that "the Lord reproves him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights" (Proverbs 3:12). When we discipline our children, they receive wisdom (Proverbs 29:15) and they will bring us delight and rest (Proverbs 29:17). Hebrews 12:11 tells us "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Remember the Bible tells us that Children are a reward from God (Psalm 127:3). So let's do a good job of raising our children because we have been blessed and we have been given a priviledge to partake in God's work on this earth.