YOUR CUE

There are five things Reggie Joiner shares in today’s podcast that parents can do to be more intentional at home — meet people, add experiences, prioritize time, identify needs, and talk together (MAP IT). Today’s CUE is simple: Download the free printable that asks you one question related to one of these five areas to help you be a more intentional parent this year.

EPISODE RECAP

We’ve all had seasons in our lives where we just didn’t feel the desire to go to church. Whether you had a church experience that left a bad taste in your mouth or you had a time in your life when you felt confused about God and whether or not He had any real purpose in your life, times will come when you question the importance of church.

We get it. We also aren’t in a position to judge — all of us on the Parent Cue podcast team have felt this way at one time or another.

But as parents who have been raised in church or who got introduced to church later in life, we’re preoccupied with a lot of things when it comes to our kids, and their faith is a big one on our lists. You might be wondering whether or not church is relevant to your family.

You and the local church

Ask any parent if they think they have this whole parenthood thing down and most will respond with an emphatic, “Absolutely not!” This generation of parents are some of the most lonely, stressed, and overwhelmed, often asking themselves questions such as, “Is my kid doing OK? Am I doing OK as a parent?” A Google search does nothing to quell their sense of hopelessness and often, parents don’t know where to turn for help.

The Church used to be that place. And the Church can be that place still.

But it seems like the Church’s reputation is only getting worse — a quick search on the Internet yields all kinds of cringeworthy results that seem to drive a wedge between the church and the community its meant to serve.

If done correctly, the church in your community can serve as one of your greatest parenting resources. Parenthood was never meant to be done alone — not only do our kids need positive adult relationships (outside of their parents), but us parents need that community, too.

With the help of the Church, parents can learn how to use everyday moments to be more intentional with their kids, building them up to be successful adults. Together with the Church, parents can be more intentional at home by:

Meeting people.
Adding experiences.
Prioritizing time.
Identifying the needs of their kids.
Talking together.

Wondering how you’ll ever remember all of these things? Just remember the acronym MAP IT. MAP IT helps us take the focus off the things we can’t control and put our focus back on the things we can.

Tune in to today’s podcast to hear more wisdom about the MAP IT areas and how you can better serve your children with the help of your local church.

Got a particular question about parenthood or grandparenthood that’s been particularly mind boggling? We want to hear it! Click here.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

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