1  PRAY FOR YOUR CHILD, AND FOR THEIR FUTURE SPOUSE – James wrote

      that the prayer of a righteous man does much good (5:16).  Since your child is

      God’s child, invite him into their life and your parenting often.  As Peter wrote, cast

      all your “parenting” care on God because he cares for you, 1st Peter 5:7.

 #2  EXAMPLE THE BEHAVIOR YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE – To do anything else

      would make you a hypocrite.  Jesus told his apostles that since they had seen him,

      they had seen the father (John 14:9).  There should be a parallel with us in that as

      your children watch you in your habits and practices, they should be seeing who you

      want them to become.  Those who would bring up a child in the way he should go,

      must first go that way themselves.

 #3  WHETHER FATHER OF MOTHER, LOVE AND RESPECT THE OTHER – An old

      adage teaches that one of the best ways for a father to love his children is to love

      their mother.  Children must also see their mother honoring and respecting their

      father.  Children taught to honor their parents as we are taught in Exodus 20 &

      Deuteronomy 5, will have little trouble internalizing this foundational value if they see

      each parent honoring the other.  Note: this remains true when one parent has left

      the home.  For the benefit of the children, continue to speak as respectfully as you

      can of the absent parent.

 #4  SPEND TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN – The only way to spend quality time with

      your children is to spend generous quantities of time.  We are told of a night Jesus

      spent in prayer with his father (Luke 6:12).  He spent three years with his apostles. 

      We have nothing to offer our children that is more valuable than our time.  If

      circumstances make this difficult, find ways to let them know that you would rather

      be spending time with them than doing anything else.

 #5  TEACH THEM, TRAIN THEM – everything you can and all the time.  Your top

      priority must be talking with them about God (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9!), but you can

      often do this while teaching them housework, yardwork, baking, cooking, fishing,

      golf, hunting, automobile maintenance, crafts, construction, sewing and anything

      else you know how to do.  Give your children responsibilities and teach them how to

      fulfill them.  Give them a sense of competency by teaching them how to do stuff.