What does God say about training a child in the way she/ he should go?

Actively training children from the start
Prov 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

From the very start, from inception, we have an opportunity to influence children's direction in life. When God tells us to start children off, He expects us to be faithful to start them off.

When we enroll for any teaching or training programs, we know there will be an expert to start us off. Some programs might require trainers to guide us all through.

Best example is a coach training his team for success. The coach trains the team and points them in the winning direction as he instills certain disciplines in them.

Training children on God's ways
Deut 6:5-9
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Training children starts with training Parents
Wow a high and first call for me is to love the Lord with my entire being as commanded in verse 5.

Loving the Lord so deeply with every bit of my heart, soul (mind, intentions) and all my strength.
My longings, desires (thoughts), yearnings
My thoughts, intentions
My ounce, effort, focus, attention
All that I am, I should love God.

We allow God to train us as we walk in obedience so that we can train our children.

Verse 6 is a reminder that beyond training from God, we should love God's ways and hide them in our hearts. Totally falling in love with God's ways.
When we love God, we will fall in love with His ways and long for them.

Training children should be a journey, and one of joy despite the challenges
Prov 22:6 reminds us that there is a unique way that every child is designed to follow. This requires time with the children and prayers for parents to know which way their children should go.

Since children have various growth stages, we should adjust to their situations to ensure they have as much opportunity to learn from us what we have learnt from God.
Deut 6:7 then encourages us to impress on our children the beliefs we have learnt from God.
To impress is to affect deeply or strongly in mind or feelings, to influence in opinion.

We have a great task that requires us to partner with God who authors our lives and our children too.

To impress God's ways on our children, God gives us interesting ways to go about the process

• Talk with children when you sit at home
• Take walks and use the opportunity to tell your children more about God
• Take naps or lie down to rest and in that relaxed mode let your children know your convictions in God
• When you get up from whatever activity you were at, even such a moment would be precious for them to know more.

Literally get every chance to direct and train your child in God's ways. Verse 7

God's creative ways to make learning and teaching children more fun and creative
In verse 8-9

• Tie these words as symbols on your hands. When we see we remember faster and we are bound to remember more. What can you use to help your child see and remember?
• Bind these words on your forehead. When something is on your forehead, those near will see and when on the mirror you are bound to see it. you will feel it too and if it means something, you are bound to have a deeper memory.
• Write them on the door frame. Doors are always used and having a memory there would easily be noticed. Other people will come through your doors and they will know what you have imprinted on the hearts of your children and they may remind them when they forget.
• On your gates write these words. Gates are visible to all. Our confidence in Him will help us let the many people know what we believe in. This confidence should be passed on to our children. It is crucial especially when life begins to question their faith.

The task is great but God is greater than the tasks. Let's partner with Him!

Happy and joyful parenting journey.