by @Fitzysmom
So what’s a worn out momma to do? Begin at the beginning.
For me during those turbulent years it meant running straight into the arms of Jesus. Every. Single. Day. The days I missed were the days I would sink. I love the popular advice of getting up before the kiddos to have a quiet time . . . a little bit of coffee and a whole lotta Jesus. (Cold can of Coke for me thank you very much!) The problem was that I was blessed with a boy that woke up with the first rays of light. And this night owl momma had usually gone to bed just a few hours before. Guilt was my cloak of choice. Why couldn’t I love early mornings? Why did I need an hour or so of just being before I could coherently function?
Here’s where I’m going to urge you to loosen those chains that hinder your morning meeting with Jesus. Do what you have to do to make it happen even if it is mid-morning rather than the crack of dawn. Just like you should put on your oxygen first in an airline emergency, you should also equip yourself first to face what is ahead of you. So put a DVD on, plop your little cherub in front of it and then run to Jesus. Grab your Bible and coffee and absorb His words of life-giving power.
After that mountain top experience you get the privilege of doing what you were called to do . . . train up a child!
So where should you start? Begin at the beginning.
The wonderful thing about toddlers is their insatiable curiosity. The most taxing part of a toddler is their insatiable curiosity. (And the tantrums . . . oh the tantrums!) Toddlers love to discover how things are made and how they work. Encourage that curiosity by teaching them the creation story in Genesis.
There are literally thousands of resources of books and music and coloring sheets that you can use to teach your little one what happened on those first seven days. Make it fun and enjoyable for both of you. I happen to be a brand ambassador for Zonderkidz so I have had the privilege of scouring a ton of their toddler books. One of my favorite new books is the Read With Me Bible for Little Ones. It does a nice overview of some of the main themes in the Bible.Once you’ve conquered the creation story you can move on to many other stories that reside in the Old and New Testaments. My favorite teaching outline comes from Hebrews 11:1-39. We affectionately refer to it as the great Hall of Faith. Spend time teaching your children about each of these great men and women. It is perfectly acceptable to leave out the gruesome parts at this point. A three-year-old is probably not ready to learn about Cain killing his brother Able. But they can begin to learn about obedience to God by presenting acceptable offerings. And above all else begin teaching them about Jesus.
I’m so excited for each of you mommas as you journey this path with your little ones. You are called to this and our faithful God is equipping you for it. You can do this. There’s a great cloud of witnesses surrounding you and cheering you on. And all the grannies said . . . AMEN!
Now . . . how about a GIVEAWAY?!! We loved Read With Me Bible For Little Ones so much that we wanted to make a way for one of our readers to get their own copy. To do that we have partnered with Zonderkidz to give one of our readers a copy of the book.
The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Giveaway Tools form below. All entries are optional.
