Christmas Countdown Ideas for Kids

The holidays are here! In just a few days, we will celebrate Thanksgiving and then the Christmas countdown will begin! Now that I am a wife and mommy, I have began building traditions with my own little family and I dearly love making memories with my husband and my kids. Today I'd love to share with you the Christmas countdown activities for this year. We won't necessarily do them in this exact order, but the goal is do them all and have fun making memories that will last for years to come. So here we go!

1. Read the Christmas story

2. Unwrap new Christmas PJs and a new Christmas book/movie 

3. Have hot coco and cookies

4. Open your special ornament to put on the tree 

 5. Mail Christmas cards 

6. Shop for one special gift for a family member 

7. Make a Christmas CRAFT with Mom 

8. Have a family Christmas movie night - with treats!

9. Polar Express night! (Look at Christmas lights in PJs, with hot chocolate) Link to ticket here

10. Decorate Christmas cookies

11. Gather old toys to donate to charity

12. GRINCH night! (Grinch punch, Grinch cookies, and Grinch popcorn!)

 13. See Santa at the Mall

14. Go on a hunt for Mistletoe

15. Make Christmas pancakes (with cookie cutters and sprinkles!)

 16. Go to a Christmas play or party 

17. Take a Christmas bubble bath!

 18. Make a Gingerbread Nativity

 19. Have a living room Christmas dance party!

 20. Color Christmas printable pages

 21. play a board game together as a family!

22. Have a picnic by the Christmas tree

23. Make Candy Cane syrup!

24. Sing Christmas carols together

25. Have a birthday party for Jesus!

Click here for the free printable!

What about you? What are some traditions and fun activities you do each year with your family?

Parenting Without Bullying - plus a Free Printable!

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:15 that Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 

Dr. Benjamin Spock said, "Physical punishment certainly plays a role in our acceptance of violence. If we are ever to turn toward a kindlier society and a safer world, a revulsion against the physical punishment of children would be a good place to start."

Thanks to Mr. Spock's teachings, an entire generation grew up unacquainted with the thwack of a paddle. In the 1950's, we had Leave it to Beaver, conservative values, and a high regard for morality. In the 1960's, when the new parenting strategy was introduced, society's pendulum swung the other way. We saw an increase in drug use, the sexual revolution, Woodstock, the 1970's Feminist movement, Roe vs. Wade, etc. Am I saying the decline of morality falls on the shoulders on Benjamin Spock? No. But I am saying that it played a part.

My husband and I are striving to raise our children by Biblical principles. We believe in the supremacy of Scripture and its authority over our lives. There have been many questions asked regarding how we discipline our children. Do we spank? Do we use the "time out" method? Do we let them exert their independence and encourage them to express themselves how they choose? In short, we do spank. We discipline based on the offense and sometimes that includes a swat to the bottom. And we believe it is Biblical.

Ken Gallinger said, "The Bible is simply wrong on spanking," (Toronto Star, 2007)

This is a hard quote to swallow for any follower of Jesus Christ because the Bible gives us clear instructions on how to discipline our children. And, yes, that includes spankings.

Proverbs 29:15 says, The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Proverbs 29:17 adds, Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.


Now, let me be clear. It is vital that we separate spankings from beatings. A "swat" to a child's bottom is in no way the same as a fist to the face. A firm lick with a paddle is not in the same category as bruising and scars. In no way does this post advocate abuse of any kind. We are talking about parental discipline, not bullying or physical harm. And it's important to note that when a parent chooses a spanking to discipline their child, it must be done with an attitude of love, not fiery wrath. Somewhere, the line was blurred and the definition skewed. If the Bible is the authority, then it reigns as absolute truth. Those who do not believe that God's Word is infallible and without flaw will no doubt have a difficult time believing that it is possible to raise children who receive spankings, yet who are secure in the love of their parents and who are all-around good kids!

Since becoming a parent, I have asked myself numerous times (usually on those really hard days) why God instructs parents to discipline their children this way. For me, it hurts. I do not enjoy one minute of disciplining my child. But through much study and prayer and by watching the example of my parents and other families who practice Biblical discipline and parenting, I have discovered three ways that spanking not only rears well-behaved children, but actually plays a major role in bringing them to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

1. Spankings teach that there is a higher authority. I tire of teenagers who have no regard for any kind of authority, be it government officials or those in Pastoral leadership. This begins at a young age when parents allow their children to rule the roost. This is not Biblical. By Biblically disciplining your child, you are teaching them that you are the parent, the one God placed in authority over them. This gives them a beginners' knowledge of God, who is over all.
       
2. Spankings teach that there are consequences. I don't spank my children to prove I'm bigger and stronger than they are. That's not parenting, that's bullying. And it can be a form of emotional abuse when we spank just because we can. I spank my children when they are disobedient, defiant, and when they willfully disregard my words. When we spank our children, it teaches them that there are always consequences for wrong actions, whether you are two years old or two hundred years old. Spiritually, this teaches them about sin and the payment for it. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23)
        
3. Spankings teach grace, love, and forgiveness. Again, we are not talking about abuse. Proverbs 13:24 says, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." This verse tells us that if we love our children, we will spank them. If we don't, we won't. Simple as that. My Dad was the best at implementing this. When a sin was committed, we were spanked. And no matter what the offense was, I always saw the hurt in his eyes. As soon as the sin was confessed and forgiveness was asked for, it was done and over. Forgotten. There was always an atmosphere of love. This taught me about God's saving grace. His corrects us, disciplines us - not to make us rebellious and angry - but to give us a desire to grow into maturity. When this mindset is demonstrated by God-fearing parents to their children, it will work. And it will fulfill Scripture by delivering their soul from hell. (Proverbs 23:14)

There are other forms of correction we implement, regularly using our Clean Heart sheet. Recently, I put together a correction chart that I am sharing with you today. We have to understand the power of prayer and using Scripture to teach and instruct our children. As I mentioned before, we mustn't bully our kids, we must teach our kids! And our goal as parents should always be to point them to Jesus Christ, and teach them principles of Scripture. For if we train up a child in the way he ought to go, we are promised that he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Click here for the PDF file

Hebrews 12:11

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Instilling Scripture into Young Hearts

The first five years of a child's life are what I call the "soaking years." They are sponges! They absorb everything and soak up so much information. And they learn quick! So it is vital that parents seize these formidable years to instill the Word of God in their children's little hearts. I want my children to know and love God's Word at an early age. I want their hearts to be primed so they will be tender and easily receptive when the voice of God speaks to them.

It's so important to saturate our children with Scripture. I'll be honest, in the hustle of the mornings, it's been hard for me to stop and sit down with my children and read the Bible to them. I finally said "No more!" We are in a war, and if I don't do my job in bringing them up with a knowledge and love for all things Jesus, then I've failed as a parent. My husband is diligent in praying with our kids every night before bed. Being as he leaves for work before they awake in the mornings, I decided to take breakfast time as "Bible time." Each morning, I sit them in their seats with their breakfast and I sit down with my coffee and my Bible. We read one chapter, I explain what I've read, then we go over Nathan's Bible verse. He has seven Scriptures memorized and can recite them easily with little to no help from me! Here are five tips for teaching Scripture to your toddler:

1. Start small. The Scriptures that I have chosen to teach Nathan are either small or I have cut them in half. Don't overwhelm them, just start with an easy, small piece of a verse.
          
2. Repetition! We go over each Scripture piece by piece. And then we repeat it over and over and over and over and....
        
3. Be expressive. Use your eyes, your facial expressions, your body - whatever. Make whatever verse you have chosen come to life.
        
4. Make it fun. I have literally rapped a Bible verse simply to make it fun and enjoyable. It works. We have danced. We have clapped. We have put a tune to the Scripture (we also use Scripture songs, which are a huge hit!) Whatever method you choose, make things fun and entertaining.
        
5. Explain. Don't just teach them words. Teach them THE Word. Tell them what it means. Put it into their spectrum of understanding. That will go a long way to keeping it in their mind.

Today I am sharing the first six verses I taught Nathan. I carefully hand picked what verses I wanted him to learn so, as he grows, he will understand elements of coming to the Lord in salvation.

Click here for the free printable version.

Saturating Your Children With Scripture

I remember years ago while attending a Bible conference, one powerful preacher of the Gospel outlined the lives of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards, two great patriarchs of Christian history. He said one phrase repeatedly when describing the upbringing of both Jonathan and Sarah, which was:

"....saturated with the Word of God."  Saturated.

Webster's Dictionary defines "saturate" as:
     
sat·u·rate    [v. sach-uh-reyt; adj., n. sach-er-it, -uh-reyt]
  
1. to cause (a substance) to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance, through solution, chemical combination, or the like.
     
2. to charge to the utmost, as with magnetism.
    
3. to soak, impregnate, or imbue thoroughly or completely: to saturate a sponge with water; a town saturated with charm.
     
To unite with the greatest possible amount....to imbue thoroughly....to soak..... what a picture. Those two lives (and countless more!) were raised being saturated, not with secular culture, mind you, but with the very living, breathing, infallible Word of God. They were not filled with liberal mentalities or philosophies. They were not absorbed in the things of the world. Instead, they were soaked with Scripture. They were not raised simply just being around Christian things and hearing the Bible taught and preached. Instead, they were SOAKED and completely SATURATED with it. And if you study their legacy, you will be amazed to find that their family presents a near-perfect picture of Proverbs 22:6 which says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Thinking upon these things, I have committed to "saturating" my children with the Word of God. A few weeks ago, I began to take Nathan's bath time to instill a Bible verse in his little heart, correlating with what we were doing. I have been reciting Psalm 51:10 to him at every bath time and also will sometimes sing Keith Green's song based upon that passage in Scripture to him as well. I have also been trying to develop a habit of reciting at least one Bible verse at various times of the day, depending on the activity. I recently made a chart, that I will gladly share with you all, that I hope will help me in my endeavour to saturate my children.

As the world grows increasingly sinful and filled with carnal and flesh-filled idols, those who are truly and literally saturated with the Word of God are becoming fewer and farther between. However, as Elisabeth Elliot said, In every generation, there are a few.... My prayer for my little boy (and gracious, for myself too!!) is that he will be soaked in the Word so much so that when this world fades further into the darkness, he will stand out like a lighthouse on a hill. When those his age choose paths of self, lust, and sin, I pray HE will have the Word of God so deeply rooted in his heart that he will be able to aptly combat Satan's fiery darts. When sound doctrine and "the old path" as Jeremiah says, is rejected and even outlawed, I pray he will be so soaked with Scripture that even if his Bible is taken away, he is still able to meditate on the Lord's precepts "all the day long." As parents, we need to take hold of our high calling and USE it wisely. Proverbs tells us that if we train up a child a certain way, he will not depart from it. If we train up our children to simply be good in school, active in sports, or sociable, then that is inevitably the way they will go. And what's more, if that's all we do, we will fail as parents. However, if we train up our children to stand firm upon Biblical doctrine, to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, to hide His Word in their hearts that they may not sin against our Lord, if we train them up to be warriors in the army of God, then we will succeed as parents AND we will be pointing our children to Heaven's eternity.

Below is the chart I have made for teaching Nathan basic Scripture for his basic activities. I am resolving to recite these to him every day, instilling those Words into his little heart at an early age.

  

Praying for you, parents, as you saturate your children....

*** EDIT ***

Some of you parents have asked for this chart. Click below for the PDF file, free for you to print!

click here to download