Education

1. Parents, not the school are responsible for a child's education
2. Parents who choose to send kids to school (public or Christian) should volunteer huge hours to the school (not for the school's sake but for their kids). This should continue through to graduation.Be hands on with your kids' education.
3. Parents should realize that the school is only the platform for education. The real learning happens as parents work with their children on homework.
4. Parents should never let their kids be exposed to teachers and peers (other kids) longer than they are with their parents. If the parents are involved with the school, this will happen naturally. Never let your kids be embarrassed you are at school with them. If that happens, pull them out of the school and educate them yourself (or enroll them in a smaller school) so that they value your attention more than anyone else's.
5. Parents should base the child's educational direction on the nurture and the admonition of the Lord.

Babies

1. Hold them closely but let them grow used to not being held
The urge is to coddle them all of the time. They need close contact and lots of loving, but they also need to learn to enjoy their own space. Let the alone some too. It's all right to let them be in a safe room alone.
2. Give the assurances of strong family
Even at birth it is healthful for them to sense that their mom and dad love each other.
3. The problem with discipline begins about the time they come home from the hospital
The sin nature is born into us, not taught into us. Some form of discipline needs to begin from day one.
4. Early over protection will lead to later frustration
Over protected children tend to be the most rebellious later on..
5. Dad should hold the baby a lot. He or she needs to become used to the father's strength.
Mom will be around much more than dad. So Dad needs to purposefully care for and give attention to the baby. There is a reason men and women are different and the baby needs the strengths of each.

Children Should

1. Children should be instructed in manners and decent behavior 
2. Children should be loved unconditionally but never be left to their own devices 
3. Children should be happy but never led to expect it
4. Children should be observed and not allowed to run wild
5. Children should be trained in acceptable processes of discovery and not given over to discover without supervision 

Five Don'ts

1. Don't panic when your child does wrong

   Teach your child. You did some wrong things too and made it through.
2. Don't rely on the doctor's opinions

   Doctors don't know everything. Many of their instructions are just their opinions and are no better than your own. Don't listen to a doctor tell you to keep your kid out of church, for instance.
3. Don't over react to things your kids say

   You want your children to talk to you. They will learn not to if you over react every time they try to.
4. Don't cling so tightly to them they feel like they have to run to find freedom

   This is especially true when they grow into their late teens.
5. Don't forget that God loves them much more than you do

   You can trust God with these souls.

Home

My kids are grown now. Here are some things we do to help home stay home for them

1. Make your home a sanctuary for your adult children to visit
They have enough battles to fight on the outside. We want our home to be a refuge they get to flee into.

2. Give your home a familiarity they will remember and cherish
Have some consistencies that they can depend upon.

3. Welcome them home when it is best for them
This is part of making home a refuge; don't make them feel guilty for not coming more often.

4. Make home be home even if it can't be the same house
I am fifty four years old. My mom and dad don't live in the house I grew up in but I can still go to there place and be home. There are pictures I remember as a kids growing up. I can eat out of the same plates I ate from as a kid.

5. Enjoy your home even when they aren't home.

What Do You Want Your Family To Be Like?

1. Have a written idea of what you want your family to be like.

Share it with your family and tweak it with their input.

2. Regularly evaluate what are your children's strengths and weaknesses.

How can you help them capitalize on their strengths and improve their weaknesses?

3. Plan time alone with each child each week.

4. Realize that your children are more important than your occupation.

5. At all costs, win and keep the hearts of your children.[1]

They must value your relationship with them above anyone else’s.

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[1] S.M. Davis has a great help for this called “Changing the Heart of a Rebel” at www.solvefamilyproblems.com

Raising Kids On Purpose

1. Raise them with an end in mind
2. Raise them with God in the lead
3. Raise them as a team with your spouse
4. Raise them refusing to let your emotions rule you
5. Raise them the best way and not the easiest or most pleasurable way