Tag: grandparents

4 Ways to be a Glowing Example to your Kids and Grandkids

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Little eyes are always learning. In fact, they often learn faster and quicker than little ears. We can try to teach life lessons through our wonderful words of wisdom, but if our children aren’t seeing it in real-time as they observe our lives, the lesson is often lost. “Do as I say, not as I do,” just doesn’t fly.

My grandpa Sandy was a wonderful example to me. His resourcefulness, wisdom, and kind demeanor made me want to live up to his standards. Although he lived hundreds of miles away, he was still a light and an influence to me whenever we were together. So what are some practical ways to set a glowing example as parents or grandparents? Allow me to offer several simple thoughts:

  • Let them see you being Kind and respectful toward others. Make a genuine and sincere effort to be thoughtful to everyone you encounter, from waitstaff to cashiers to neighbors. As our children observe our kindness in action, they will learn one of life’s most valuable lessons.
  • Let them see how you handle a challenge or a crisis. If we hope to raise resilient kids, then we must demonstrate how to face difficulties with wisdom, peace, and fortitude.  One of the greatest actions we can show our kids is how to handle the ups and downs of life. When we pray for God’s help in the midst of frustrations or heartaches, we are helping them learn to seek God’s guidance through life’s storms.
  • Let them see you apologize. Let’s be honest, we don’t always get it right. We rarely respond exactly as we want. There are times when we must ask for forgiveness. Just because we are older doesn’t mean we are perfect. When we apologize, we teach our children humility, forgiveness, and how to say I’m sorry.
  • Let them see you laugh. Find joy in life and share it with others. Smile often. Play games, tell jokes, read silly books, and go to fun places. Help your kids learn to enjoy life as you share a hearty dose of happiness from your own example.  

Sometimes the way up is down. Not too long ago, I read a book called Humility, in which author Andrew Murray reminds us that true humility comes from recognizing our complete dependence on the Lord. We can’t even be humble on our own – we need the humility of Christ, which comes through the power of the Holy Spirit. So, let’s begin our journey to being a great example for the next generation by humbly asking the Lord to help us. We can’t do this on our own.

Photo by Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash

The Power of a Positive Grandparent

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“There are no perfect parents.” Over the years, I’ve often used these words to reassure young moms and dads as they face the ups and downs of raising a family. Now that I am a grandparent, I wish I were flawless, but I’m far from it. What I can offer my precious grands is a little wisdom based on life experiences, a little more relaxed time to spend together, and a whole lot of grace-filled love. 

As a slightly imperfect, yet completely enthusiastic grandmother (Kay Kay), I want to share some positive principles we can apply to the sweet spot years of grandparenting. Whether you are near or far from your grandkids, you can have a positive impact on their lives. Over the next few weeks, I plan to share a few practical principles from my heart to yours.

Join me here on this blog as we cover:

The Power of Encouragement – speaking life-giving words into their hearts

The power of Example –  living the lessons we want them to learn

The Power of Listening – paying attention to what they say and what they don’t say

The Power of Laughter – creating fun and delight

The Power of Being Intentional – passing on values and Biblical truths

The Power of Prayer – going to the Father on their behalf

The Power of Presence – letting them know you are there for them

If you are like me, you desire to create a legacy and have a positive impact on the next generation. Let’s journey together over the next few weeks as I unpack each of these principles and offer doable tips to help us be the best grandparents God has made us to be.

Father, I thank you for the joy and privilege of impacting the next generation. Lord, I ask that you would give us direction and guidance in loving and leading our grandkids well. May you use our words, our actions, and our example to point them toward you. Be with our grandkids and surround them with your care mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Life Lessons Learned from Newborns

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Last week, my daughter and her husband welcomed their first baby into the world. As Grandma Kay Kay, I had the opportunity to spend a week with this new family of three. My main responsibility consisted of holding the baby while the sleep-deprived parents grabbed a few winks. Can I just say, there is no greater or more precious  in the world than holding a newborn baby. His sweet coos and dreamy facial expressions kept me entertained for hours. As I studied this delicious gift from God, several life lessons seemed to pop into my head. Here’s a few thoughts we can glean from a newborn:

Unique Design – When we look into the face of a newborn, we can see beautiful and individual characteristics, both physically and emotionally. No two babies are exactly the same, but rather they are a reflection of our creator and His extraordinary handiwork. As we consider the people in our lives, may we never lose the wonder of this divine masterpiece. Let us look at every human as a blessing, worthy of respect and love, even those humans who don’t agree with our opinions or viewpoints. And let’s not forget that we too are thoughtfully designed by Him.

Trusted Rest – I loved rocking my grandson till he fell fast asleep in my arms. Holding him close, I thought about the many scriptures that encourage us to rest in the Lord by placing our trust in Him. How comforting and caring are our Heavenly Fathers loving arms! Often in our busyness, we fail to rest in those arms and enjoy His care, strength and love. We scurry and try to solve all our issues on our own. May we take a lesson from these little ones to trust and rest, casting our cares on Him, and allowing Him to hold us.

Expected Growth – As much as I love this tiny bundle of joy, I know he is not supposed to stay this way forever. He is expected to grow, day by day, year by year.  He has a whole future ahead of him, filled with potential and learning. He’s not frustrated with himself because he doesn’t know how to feed himself yet. It takes time to grow into who he will be one day. We too have the potential for growth, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Instead of living with frustration because of our mistakes, may we learn and grow from them. Let’s be patient with ourselves and recognize we are works in progress. We don’t want to be stagnant in our growth, but rather continually growing and learning to be all that God created us to be.

Remember, God is not finished with you yet. The apostle Paul wrote, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Relish the unique way God designed you, trust Him and allow Him to develop you into the wonderful person He created you to be.