Every Wednesday I will post a practical wisdom thought or suggestion on marriage, parenting, or life. The Bible states that words and actions come from the heart (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:18). So as a parent, one of your major goals is to influence your child’s heart leading to responsible decision-making. Sadly, I estimate that 90% of parents, even the most loving ones, often hold the false belief that a significant objective is to control a child’s behavior, imposing many unnecessary rules. Some negatives associated with attempting to control a child’s behaviors are constant tension within the home and rebellion, poor decision-making, fears, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders in the child.

A healthy parent wants to be a leader, not a boss. A boss parent creates an atmosphere of rules and regulations over nearly everything. A leadership parent supervises and provides continual growth opportunities so a child develops good decision-making skills in the home.

Now or in the future, your child will have to make choices with cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, and sexual contact. Your Godly influence and leadership parenting will influence your child’s heart for a positive outcome in most situations.

Thus, your number one goal is to daily work hard at strengthening your parent-child relationship in order to influence your child’s heart. Through a nurturing, encouraging relationship and loving guidelines, you can help create a healthy, responsible decision-making child.

TODAY: In order to influence your child’s heart, what words or actions will help you build a stronger bond with your child in order to lead them toward becoming a wonderful decision-maker?

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