Why You Must Honor Your Children

2 min read

 

As I outlined in my book, All Pro Dad: Seven Essentials to Be a Hero to Your Kids, one of the seven essentials to being that hero to your children is to understand that you are a role model to them.  Our children often learn more by what is caught than what is taught.  Have you seen this to be true in your home?

This isn’t just true of your children when they are young.  As my kids have become teenagers, I continue to be amazed by what they pick up from watching me as I interact with their mom and my wife, Susan.  Unfortunately, it seems like they pick up on the negative things I sometimes model more readily than the positive.  As I get frustrated with my children when their actions aren’t honoring to their father and mother, I have to step back and ask, “Am I modeling what I am asking of them?”

I know that I have thrown out the reminder to my kids to always “honor your father and mother” no matter what. So how can we teach our children to do that? Well, our kids learn about honor from us, their parents.  So, moms and dads, let’s answer some important questions:

  • So, how do you honor your parents? Do you esteem and respect them just because they are your mom and dad? Or do you withhold honor from them because “they don’t deserve it” or because they weren’t the parents you thought they should have been when you were growing up? Your kids will watch and take cues from how you on how you honor your parents.
  • How do you honor those in authority, like your boss?  Do you speak critically or in a derogatory way about them in front of your children? Your response will teach your kids how to respond to you as an authority figure in their lives.
  • How do you honor your kids?  Do you speak respectfully to them? Do you discipline with harshness and in anger? Do you belittle them in front of others? One of the greatest things we can do to teach our children how to honor us is to honor them.

By honoring your parents, honoring others in authority, and honoring your children, treating your children, they’ll learn the value and importance of honoring you.

Please share with me ways you teach your children to honor you.
Here are some more resources on how to interact with your kids:

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Subscribe

Get Updates and Advice from Mark

Receive parenting, marriage, and relational truth to your inbox!