Have you thought about speaking Bible blessings over your children today? Before Jesus began His ministry, God publicly spoke His approval and love. So, follow God’s example.
As Christian Parents, Should We Allow Our Children To Go On Sleepovers?
As a mother of two boys, I know all about sleepovers. You have a house full of kids, who don’t want to sleep and who eat continuously through the day and night. Sleepovers are fun times for children. But, be cautioned. You need to protect your children from other children and even their parents who may have a bad influence on them as well as anyone else who may be in the home when your children are there for the sleepover.
I did not welcome invitations from parents whom I didn’t know. Random sleepovers were not permitted. If I knew the parents and children, I would inquire as to what types of activities were planned; who would be supervising the children; what would they be eating and drinking; and what types of games were they going to play.
Even after so much scrutiny and diligence though, something slipped by. I remember picking up my oldest son from a sleepover late one morning. He was about 10 years old at the time. As I arrived at the house, I walked in the front door to the living room. I then observed my son playing a video game with another boy. As I looked closely, to my shock and dismay, the video game involved hitting and kicking women all over their bodies (including their heads, stomachs, and private parts) in fight scenes. This was a family who attended church regularly, but the parents were not monitoring the types of video games in their house. On the drive home, I explained to my son about the problem with that video game and that men should not hit women. During the following week at church, I even spoke with the parents about the game. When I observed their nonchalant attitude, I knew my son was not going to spend time there again.
Helping Our Children Choose Their Friends
“Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character.”
As a parent, have you ever thought about helping your children choose their friends? You may think – that’s not my role as a parent or my child should be able to choose his/her own friends. In my humble opinion, I think that parents should play a huge role in who their children consider as friends and spend time with.
I was always on the look out for good friends for my sons. Since I volunteered in the children’s ministry at my church, I had special insight into the children who attended. I closely observed the child’s and parents’ demeanors. Did the parents bring their children to church every Sunday or just once in a while? Were they on time? Were the children clean and fed? Did they have good manners? Did the parents and/or children use bad words? Did the children tell lies? What did the family do over the weekend? Was reading and doing well in school important to the child and parents?
I took the scripture verse in 1 Corinthians 15:33 very seriously because I knew that bad company has a very negative effect on good character. I wanted to raise two sons who would be Godly young men. Yes, I was called a strict parent, but what is the alternative? I encourage you to play a very active role in your children’s lives rather than just being a spectator.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Children Are Precious Gifts From God So Treat Them As Such
“Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
We just finished the Christmas season with gift giving being an important part of the celebration (of course, with Jesus at the center of it all). Many of us gave or received beautiful and expensive gifts. But did you know that your children are also precious gifts from God?
What have we done with those gifts we received this Christmas that were “precious” to us? Of course, we made sure that the gifts were well taken care of, safe and protected because we certainly do not want anything to happen to them. They are too important to us. We also spend time with those gifts, whether it is wearing them or driving in them, or going somewhere special with them. Since the gifts are so valuable to us, we want to make sure we spend significant time with them, not just a few minutes.
As gifts directly from God, don’t your children deserve such treatment, and even better? Think about ways that you can make your children feel that they are such precious gifts too you each and every day. Please don’t skip a day, though, because their memories can be short.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Laughing and Reading at the Same Time
What do children love to do and is very natural for them? To laugh! Also, we have all heard about how good laughter is for us because it helps reduce stress.
According to the website for the Women’s and Children’s Network on Kids’ Health, some children did a survey of what made the people in their class laugh. Here is what they found:
"My little brother makes me laugh because he does such funny things - he's only a baby."
"Knock knock jokes."
"Watching funny movies."
"My friend - because he is really funny."
"My favorite comedians."
"Hanging out with my friends because we have fun together and laugh a lot."
"Watching home movies, especially when mom and dad look so funny with their hairstyles and the clothes they had when they were young."
Since my passion is to promote reading, I would like to connect the dots between encouraging reading and laughter. One of the types of books we had at our home for our sons to read were joke books. We loved to laugh and our sons seemed to be natural at laughing and joking around. The joke books were a special family treat on occasions.
Today, with the expansion of the internet, there are all sorts of websites that have good, clean jokes and riddles for children to read and enjoy. So, spend some time laughing and reading with your children. Those will be very special times indeed!
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Some Suggestions for New Year’s Resolutions to Promote Reading
Happy new year! Yes, it’s 2016 and I have some suggestions for new year’s resolutions to help promote reading in your family.
#1 – Plan weekend family outings to your local library. I cannot mention enough about the wealth of information and books that are available in public libraries. Search the internet to find out what your library has to offer on the weekends for children and attend the events. Above all, check out books and other material for your children to read, at no cost!
#2 – Have a variety of reading materials available at home. Don’t let your children get bored with what reading materials you have. In addition to fiction, have biographies, comic books, audible books, and books in other formats (on your Kindle or iPad).
#3 – Intentionally set aside time each day to read. That will take discipline on your part. One of the best times to read is when you are putting your child to bed at night, or after dinner is finished. Don’t wait until you are totally exhausted and sleepy to do this. Plan time for reading in your schedule as you would any other important event. Remember – your child is worth it!
#4 – Limit the video and computer games. Children can sit in front of a screen (whether a large computer screen or the small screen on your mobile phone) playing games endlessly. Many parents use these games as babysitters. Instead of just having your child play these games, try downloading some good books and have your child read them. That way, they will sit quietly and develop good reading habits at the same time.
Of course, there are many more suggestions that I can make. But, let’s start with these in 2016. You will be taking a huge step by making and following through with these resolutions.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
The Greatest Christmas Gift of All Time
As we are busy making our plans and buying gifts for our friends and loved ones for Christmas, let us not lose focus about why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. As Christians, we believe that Jesus was the greatest gift ever given to mankind. God gave us His only son Jesus so that we could have eternal life. Why did God do this for us? John 3:16 gives us the answer: because of His immense love for us.
The true meaning of Christmas is found in its name: “Christ”, who is Jesus and “mas” which is a celebration. Christmas is an extremely special day for us. I encourage you to spend time worshiping Jesus and thanking Him for all that He has done for you and your loved ones. From my family to yours - have a blessed and peaceful Christmas!
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
As Mothers, Do We Know the Importance of the Children We Gave Birth To?
This Christmas season, one of my most favorite songs is “Mary, Did You Know?” written by Mark Lowry. In that song, Mary is asked whether she knew how great her child Jesus would be. Did Mary know that her son would walk on water? That he would calm the storm with his hand? As she kissed his face, did she know that he had come to save us? That he was the Lord of all creation? The questions continue throughout the song.
I love this song because I wonder what Mary thought about her son as she caressed him in her arms. She was chosen by God to fulfill this critical role. And as a mother, I think about my own sons. I believe that I too was chosen by God to be the mother of my sons. Do I truly know how important my sons are to God and how important they will be to their generation and generations to follow? Do I expect greatness and importance out of them? When they were babies, I held them in my arms and loved them as only a mother could. And, yes, I do expect great things from my sons, because of who they are in Christ. I know that God has great destinies for them.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Making Up Fantasy Stories With Your Children
I like nonsense – it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities. - Dr. Seuss
Have you ever made up fantasy stories with your children? My youngest son James had a close friend growing up. Both of them were voracious readers. Sometimes on Friday afternoons, I would pick them up from school and drive them to our home. On the drive, they would be sitting in the back seat of the car. One day, I heard them talking and giggling as I drove. I asked them what was happening. They said that they were making up stories. One of them would think something up and the other one would follow up with something else and then the other person would add to it. Back and forth it went and I can tell you, those stories were pure fantasy, bordering on the verge of being ridiculous to me. But to those two boys, the stories were adventurous and hilarious. I must admit that I truly enjoyed driving them. I laughed along with them. They were in elementary school at the time.
I didn’t make up stories with James, as I felt it was important for him to have a friend to make up stories with. His imagination was being nurtured and he was having a good time too. If he didn’t have a friend to create fantasy stories with, I would have stepped in. What about your children? Do they have friends who can help them make up stories? If not, step in to be the nurturer of those “nonsense” stories, as Dr. Seuss would call them. Who would ever have thought about writing a children’s book with a talking cat wearing a red and white stripped hat and a red bow tie?
Famous Athletes Are Promoting Reading – You Can Be a Great Athlete and a Great Reader Too
It’s inspiring to have famous athletes such as Rashad Jennings and Tim Green, football players, be role models as athletes and readers. In fact, Mr. Jennings established a foundation dedicated to promoting reading in elementary school. Mr. Green writes fiction sports books for older children.
Mr. Jennings established the Rashad Jennings Foundation because of the difficulties he had with reading as a child and understanding the importance of literacy in a child’s life. On his website, he tells his story, which is truly impressive. He had to overcome a very difficult home environment with his alcoholic father who always criticized him. Mr. Jennings had a dream to play in the NFL as a running back but the odds were stacked against him. He had to overcome problems in reading, which he ultimately did, and is now a successful running back playing with the New York Giants. His foundation sponsors a reading challenge in which elementary schools can participate and children win all kinds of prizes for reading.
Mr. Green was a football player, playing as a top defensive player with the Atlanta Falcons, but is now an author of sports novels for young adults. He has partnered with the NFL to promote reading. Their slogan is “Play 60-Read 20”, advocating athletics as part of a school’s healthy curriculum as well as reading at least 20 minutes a day. He frequently speaks at schools all over the US promoting literacy and he uses the money from speaking engagements to buy books for schools, libraries and children who could not otherwise afford them. Learn more about Mr. Green on his website.
Needless to say, both men are friends. Read more about them and be encouraged.
President Abraham Lincoln Proclaimed Thanksgiving Day
Do you know the history of Thanksgiving Day? It was President Abraham Lincoln who issued a proclamation in 1863 that we must have a day set aside to acknowledge and celebrate God for our great country. It was because of him that we now celebrate Thanksgiving Day in November.
Read the full proclamation below.
Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.
Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward
Secretary of State
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Mentors Wanted – Will You Apply?
People frequently complain about the direction that many of our young men and women are going. Music, clothing, hair, speech – all of these are subjects of complaints. Instead of complaining though, I believe that we should diligently seek to bring assistance. That’s where mentors are needed.
When was the last time that you mentored a child or young adult? The Apostle Paul is a very good example for us to follow. He was a mentor to young Timothy, whom Paul referred to as “his true son in the faith”. Paul knew both Timothy’s mother, Eunice, who converted to the faith, and his grandmother, Lois. Paul credited much of Timothy’s good upbringing to his mother and grandmother. As a mentor, you should get to know the child’s family as that will help you fully understand the child.
Paul spent a lot of time with Timothy as they often traveled and ministered together. Timothy was in a unique position to walk daily side by side with Paul, listen to Paul, and learn from Paul’s preaching as well as observe his demeanor. Timothy was dedicated to Paul and serving God, and as a result, Paul referred to him as “his fellow worker”. As a mentor, you should spend time with the child so the child can learn from you. Remember that you are serving as a role model, so be extremely attentive to your every word and movement.
Paul frequently expressed his praise and love for Timothy. Paul referred to him as his faithful son and his beloved child. He was proud to send Timothy to help others as Timothy had served him well and publicly commended Timothy’s service to him - as a child serves a father. As a mentor, you should encourage and praise a child often. Look for the good rather than the bad.
Don’t complain – help. Our children and young adults need your assistance in mentoring them.
Creative Ways to Help Your Children Become More Thankful and Encourage Reading at the Same Time
Image from www.courageforkids.com
I write often about the importance of literacy. Since this month is November - the month of Thanksgiving Day - I want to merge the concepts of being thankful with reading. How can we help our children become more thankful and encourage reading at the same time?
As a Christian, I always turn first to the Bible for guidance. With so many research tools available online as well as electronic Bibles, it is relatively easy to search for verses with the words “thanks” and “thankful” in the Bible. There are many. Encourage your children to read some of these verses and write them down. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 188:1 - “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
Another idea is to have your children write on sticky notes once a day what they are thankful for and create an area in your home where they can put up these sticky notes as reminders. Examples are “I’m thankful for my dog” and “I’m thankful for a sunny day to play outside” and “I’m thankful for food to eat today”. Encourage your children to read them every day.
Also, help your children write “thank you” notes for gifts or for any occasion when such a note can be used. I recently received in the mail a “thank you” card from one of my teenage nieces thanking me for a birthday gift I sent to her. It was very special to me because it showed me that she took the time to think about thanking me and about what to write to me and then she took the time to actually write it out to me. That one little handwritten note showed me that she cared for me and wanted to let me know how much she cared.
The list of ideas is endless. Begin incorporating some in your day to day activities.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Getting Our Boys to Read More
MY son, James, with his first book.
Many parents talk about the difficulties they have in getting their sons to read more. They complain about the fact that reading is seen as being nerdy and it’s challenging to find books that boys like. In classrooms, teachers often seem at a loss as to how to encourage the boys to read more. Many just don’t know about the plethora of subjects that boys like to read about and what books are available.
I’m a mother of two sons and understand those sentiments. However, I profoundly believe that parents should be determined and assertive in fostering the good habit of reading in their children. My late husband and I were good role models for our sons because we read a lot, individually and as a family. I often would go to my sons’ schools to speak to teachers if I believed reading wasn’t being encouraged enough and suggested good books for the students. We even purchased books for a school’s library to encourage reading.
Now with the internet, there is so much information available and even websites dedicated to boys reading such as www.guysread.com so there is no excuse. Don’t just sit back and expect your children, especially boys, to develop the love of reading. Find out what subjects they are interested in and then go and look for books on those subjects. If your son is interested in robots for example, actively search for books on robots. I found that my sons loved reading books about intergalactic wars and soon found that many came in wonderful series. We visited bookstores and libraries to get as many books in various series as we could.
I would love to hear what you have done to encourage your children to read, especially your sons. Please let me know.
When was the Last Time that You Read a Fairy Tale to Your Child?
From Disney's The Princess & the Frog movie.
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
Oh those wonderful fairy tales! I read so many as I was growing up. The Princess and the Frog - Cinderella – Rumpelstiltskin – Little Red Riding Hood - and many, many more. Those stories were so enjoyable and filled with immense creativity that stirred my imagination. Are there really talking frogs? Why would a princess kiss a frog? Can a frog actually turn into a handsome prince? Would the prince ever be able to turn back into a frog again?
Why read fairy tales to and with your children? The genius Albert Einstein knew why, and that is the foundation for his quote which inspired my blog post. He understood what I as a child experienced while reading them – a creative imagination being massaged and developed. Fairy tales cause a child’s mind to think outside of the box, beyond every day natural occurrences. They stir a young brain to work and think differently and to ask questions. If a princess will kiss a frog, what else is possible? With our imagination, we can imagine anything. I truly believe that Einstein read so many fairy tales that they eventually impacted his intelligence, ultimately causing him to come up with the theory of relativity.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
A Child’s Vocabulary at Age 2 Can Determine That Child’s Ultimate Success in Kindergarten and Life
Some people may believe that the title of this blog is an exaggeration. Can a child’s vocabulary at age 2 truly predict the child’s success in kindergarten and later in life? So says author Aaron Loewenberg, a former kindergarten teacher who is now focusing his efforts on education policy and leadership after obtaining a master’s degree, in his recent online article New Research: Two-Year-Old Vocabulary Predicts Kindergarten Success. Importantly, don’t just take his word for it.
Loewenberg cites many studies showing not only that a child’s success in kindergarten is based on the child’s vocabulary, but also the child’s success throughout life. In fact, he states that “children who enter kindergarten with strong early reading and math skills are more likely to attend college, own homes, and have 401(k) savings. They are also more likely to be married and live in higher income neighborhoods once they reach adulthood.”
Links are provided to all the studies that he cites, giving the reader an opportunity to look at the research articles and findings. Of great concern are the findings that children from lower income families suffer the most from the lack of vocabulary skills. Early intervention is the key – with “early” referring to the years before kindergarten. Loewenberg concludes as follows: “If this new study linking the vocabulary of two-year-olds to kindergarten success proves anything, it’s that it’s never too early to start building the vocabulary skills of our youngest learners.” I wholeheartedly agree!
Read the entire article by CLICKICLICKING HEREG HERE.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Good Manners Don’t Fall from a Tree- You must Teach Them to Your Children
I sincerely believe that Christians should have the best mannered children. Why? Because we are to be an example to the world in every way, including how we raise our children.
Of course, good manners start at home. In her book “Taming the Family Zoo: Six Weeks to Raising a Well Mannered Child”, author Donna Jones gives many ways to teach our children good manners. Here are some of them:
Teach the magic words. Children need to know why “thank you”, “please” and all the other magic words are very important to their vocabulary. Once they practice them at home, your children will have mastered their use, so using them in public will be natural to them.
Teach wise behavior in public. Children need to know that they shouldn’t be running around in public, climbing on chairs, raising their voices, cutting in lines, etc. Proper public behavior starts at home. If you allow them to do these or similar things at home, they will do them in public.
Teach good table manners. Start at home of course. Don’t allow your children to talk with their mouths full of food. Show them how to place napkins in their laps and to keep their elbows off the table. Don’t let them reach over someone else to get food. Once they learn their manners at home, they will use them naturally at a public dining place or at a friend’s house.
Read the entire article on her book by clicking here.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Scientific Evidence That Reading Positively Affects Children’s Brains
In a study issued in April, 2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed scientific evidence of the positive effects that reading has on younger children. For years, pediatricians have encouraged new parents to read to their babies as early and often as possible. Now there is actual scientific proof through MRI testing establishing how reading to children influences different brain activities which then helps in the development of oral language skills and ultimately reading skills. The children who were a part of the scientific study underwent MRI testing while they were listening to stories via headphones. The researchers were able to monitor their brain activity. Here is an excerpt from the article in Science Daily that discusses the findings:
“We are excited to show, for the first time, that reading exposure during the critical stage of development prior to kindergarten seems to have a meaningful, measurable impact on how a child’s brain processes stories and may help predict reading success,” said study author John Hutton, MD, National Research Service Award Fellow, Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “Of particular importance are brain areas supporting mental imagery, helping the child ‘see the story’ beyond the pictures, affirming the invaluable role of imagination.”
Read more of the article by CLICKING HERE.
What Does the Bible Have to Say About Good Manners?
Actually, the Bible has a lot to say about good manners. In fact, at this site you can find 23 Bible verses about manners. Voted the most popular Bible verse on manners is Luke 6:31, “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (ESV)
I live in the U.S. Virgin Islands which is a part of the West Indies. We West Indians are known for being very polite people. We always greet another person, whether we know the person or not, with “Good morning” or “Good afternoon”, or whatever the time of day or night. As a matter of fact, if we do not greet a person that way from the beginning of the contact, the person immediately believes that we have no manners and would consider us to be rude.
I believe that good manners are just not being emphasized by parents any more. We tend to excuse the child saying such things as “He’s just shy” or “She’s just tired today” or “He’s having a bad day”, or “She’s just a child-when she grows up, she’ll know better”, etc., etc. Importantly, however, good manners should be ingrained in children, so that as your children grow up, good manners are such an integral part of them, that they automatically respond with good manners in every situation.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Children are like Arrows Waiting to be Directed By Their Parents
“The children born to a man when he is young are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.”
Parents have such immense influence on their children. Pslam 127:4 states that “the children born to a man when he is young are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.” In other words, children are like arrows in their parents’ quivers and it is up to the parents to shoot them in the proper direction.
Our children have not only their physical lives, but also their spiritual lives that must be directed. In their physical lives, parents must ensure at a minimum that their children have the basic necessities of good food, shelter and clothing.
Parents should be intimately involved in their children’s education and be active in reviewing homework and speaking to teachers. They must also monitor their children’s activities, including friendships.
Many parents often forget that their children have spiritual lives. As a lay children’s minister, I understand the importance of ministering to children, leading them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and helping them grow in the Word. Looking back at my own Christian journey, it all began when I accepted Jesus into my life as a child of about 9 years old. But how many Christian parents truly consider this spiritual aspect of their children? Do they just send their children off to children’s church hoping or expecting that others will take care of their spiritual upbringing as well?
Parents should be extremely vigilant in their children’s spiritual development and growth because they ultimately steer the direction that their children will go.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt