How to be Intentional in Molding Your Child's Qualities

Day 35

When Adeline was a few months old I downloaded a couple baby apps on my phone to amuse her with color and sound. Last week she spent several minutes "popping fireworks" and dancing to the app's music. While I watched her dabble on my phone, I kept thinking "fast forward 15 years." In that moment she looked like so many of the teenagers (and adults) that are glued to their mobile devices, totally entranced. Thinking about her at age 16 reminded me of an exercise our church asked us to do in preparation for Adeline's Baby Dedication. The purpose was to get us dreaming about all the qualities we want our child to exhibit, not what they'll be when they grow up, but who they'll become. On each of her birthdays they asked us to review the list of qualities we want to instill in our daughter and assess how we're doing, as her parents, to achieve this goal.  Are we practicing, modeling, and teaching each of these characteristics? 

40 Day Challenge--Day 35:

Make a list of the characteristics you would like your children to embody, no matter what age they are today. Think about how you will teach them to possess those qualities. Spend time in prayer asking God to lead you in modeling and teaching the characteristics on your list. If you don't have children yet, do this exercise with your future children in mind. If you don't plan to have kids, complete the challenge for yourself, making a list of the qualities you hope to exemplify.