Be a parent rather than a friend to your children.  They will have many friends, but you are the only mom/dad they will have to lead them to the Lord. Don’t endanger your impact in fulfilling this huge responsibility by trying to be their friend.  If it turns out that you become friends, great!  But let it happen as a matter of course, only.

Make your home a haven for your children and their friends.  Fill your pantry with snacks, your freezer with popsicles and your closets with games. Keep kid-friendly movies on hand (that you have watched and listened to yourself).  Always be welcoming to your children’s friends as there is no better way to get to know them than to have them in your home.

Openly show respect and affection to your spouse in front of your children.  You two are the foundation for their lives and they need to know that you two love and respect each other if they are going to live securely.  Anxiety in children gives rise to all kinds of poor behaviors and tendencies.  Never speak ill of your mate!

Say no.  Your children do not need everything and do not need to get to do everything they want to do.  When in doubt especially, make it a “no.”  Only approve of those things that you are totally confident will be good for your child.  

There is one meal; eat it or go hungry.  Children will not die by missing a meal.  Neither mom nor dad, are short order cooks.

Your children do not need privacy.  They do not need to have either closed doors or any media device to which you do not have total access.

Involve your children in planning trips and vacations.  Let them have real input and help make decisions about places to go and things to do.  Road trips are great ways to spend time together, have fun and make great memories.

Respect your children; not as your superiors, but as little humans God has given to you to raise!  Speak to them positively and as if they were adults. Respect them enough to have high expectations of them.

Take them to worship and Bible class.  There should be no question in their little minds whether or not daddy and mommy are going to make the Lord and his church a priority.