Throughout my educational experience, I have learned the importance of parental involvement in a child’s life. The involvement can take many forms: being a role model, instilling good habits, being consistent in discipline, and building good relationships. This can be done by taking the time to nurture a relationship with grace and love. Equipping children in such ways can help them overcome various life challenges. Since social interactions are vital for children’s development, let’s review how social interactions occur in the family. 

Parents have both a great responsibility and opportunity as they build a home to create an environment that is nurturing for their children. The home is at the center of children’s lives, especially when they are young. It is the place where they learn important values and behaviors at an early age, and it is the place they return to at the end of the day. In order to foster a positive atmosphere in the home, parents need to be strategic in how they encourage communication, growth, and well-being.

Keeping a spiritual balance between “earthly good” and “heavenly good” is important to our everyday walk with Christ.  Since this is a fallen world, we automatically tap into our earthly ways. It is easy for us to be in this state, but eventually it wears us down. Paul says in Romans 8:6-8 that to live spiritually balanced is to live life in peace.

“I’m just not one of the smart kids.” Have you heard those words from your student or a similar statement? We live in a society that places emphasis on grades and overall performance in school, and if a student is not successful by school standards, that child may come to believe that he or she is “just not smart enough.” However, that is not a true statement. Instead, we need to encourage students to discover what smart kids they really are. Let me explain.

In her book “8 Great Smarts”, Dr. Kathy Koch proposes that there are eight ways that students tend to show their intelligence, and it is important to affirm and nurture these smarts; otherwise, they can become weaknesses. For example, a student who likes to talk to others may be word and peoplesmart. Simply telling the student that he or she needs to be quiet does not develop either smart. However, affirming the student’s need to “talk things out” in a respectful manner helps him or her learn how to use those smarts.

Now that summer is here, there are many things to get busy doing outside, but make sure to bring a book! There is no better way to stay academically in shape than by reading books. Studies show that students who participate in recommended reading programs over the summer actually gain knowledge rather than losing it.

Are talents given from above or developed? Some may say they are God-given, others may say they are developed with time.

Knowing what is best for your child can be a challenge. Thankfully, God has provided guidance for us, not just for our own relationship with God, but for teaching our children in the ways of the Lord. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:5–7).

As Christian educators, we partner with parents to instill the truths of scripture through an education that begins with knowing our loving God. Enlightium Academy’s philosophy of Christian education rests on four pillars of education: 

1. The first principles of education (i.e., the what and the why).
2. The teacher.
3. The student.
4. The nature of the learner (i.e., the how). 

As we develop a holistic educational experience for students, we seek to offer more than an education in the skills students need to function in society and to make a living — we prepare students for pursuing an abundant life in service to Christ.

Part 2: Helping Your Children Reach Their Full Potential

“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).

God works in mysterious ways, and everyone’s combined experiences affect them in ways that makes them unique. You are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). This truth is what is most important for us to instill in our children: every person is made in the image of God, the way that they are meant to be, for their own sake, for the sake of those around them, and ultimately, for the glory of God.

Part 1: Helping Your Children Reach Their Full Potential

Writing as one who has faced many challenges in life: low self-esteem, being bullied, sometimes being the bully, succumbing to peer pressure, and the uncertainty of not knowing what “I want to become when I grow up,” I am certain that I would not have achieved confidence and success in life without the support of my family and the unending humbling from God’s grace.

The constant motivating force in my life really boils down to how God has been in control every step of the way. It is my desire to share what I’ve learned as the youngest of eight children, to shed some light on how children might be guided to grow up to be someone they’re proud to be. 

Most parents will experience a distinct moment when they ask the question, “When, where, and how should I start setting a good example for my child?” As Christian parents we know that God has given us children to teach and direct in the way of Him. It is a great responsibility! How do we know where to start?

Here a short guide to when, where and how to set a good example for your child:

Getting to Know Enlightium Academy’s Chief Administrator – Part 3

Lessons Learned from Parenting

No one is born a parent. Coming into this role can be a difficult transition, and there are so many lessons that a new parent can learn. If you are actively seeking to look at the lessons learned from other parents you are on the right track.

My story in the role of a mother began 30 years ago when God blessed me with my first son. At that time I lived in Kyrgyzstan. We didn’t have computers, the Internet, or Google. I learned how to take care of my firstborn son from my mom, mother in-law, and books. Even with today's availability of resources, motherhood is a journey. Both the new mother and the child learn about each other every day. As learning occurs, a mother adapts to her child’s needs, and so responds accordingly.

As a child, my father always made sure that I was fully aware of how money worked.  I came from a family that did not have a lot of money, so we mostly just purchased the essentials. However, growing up this way was a great opportunity to understand that children of all ages can learn financial practices. Learning how to budget and to think about long-term financial goals are very valuable lessons your children will carry over into adulthood.

Are talents given from above or developed? Some may say they are given, others may say they are developed with time.

Both are true: talents are given and developed.

There are fewer things that are cuter than barbeque sauce smeared across a toddlers face. However, when your 11-year-old burps the alphabet at the dinner table in front of your new neighbors, it is not so cute.

Good table manners are very important as they ultimately show respect for others. So where should you start in the non-alphabet burping table manners training? The following lists 5 essential table manners that every child should know:

As parents, when you think of disciplining your children, you might think of spanking, sending them to a time out, or putting them in bed without dessert. However, the word discipline comes from the Latin word "discipulus", which means knowledge or to instruct. When you think of guiding, teaching, or instructing your children, you probably feel pride, hope, and joy in your parenting.

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6