Having babies is the easy part. People seem to be very good at that. Raising them up to be caring responsible people is the more challenging part. Once a woman becomes pregnant she is a mom and the young man that helped out is a dad. At least that is the way the couple ought to view the matter. It is very clear from scripture that human life begins at conception. Consider the following passages:
Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee,
Psalm 139:13 - 16
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Given these Biblical truths, it is clear that our responsibility as parents begins at pregnancy and we need to embark on our learning curve to responsibly nurture and train our children
Newly pregnant moms have lots of questions, such as:
When will there be a heart beat?
Answer: A heartbeat will normally be evident in 6-7 weeks.
What’s causing me to be nauseous in the morning?
Answer: It is very common for about 70 % of pregnant women to experience morning sickness. It can be triggered by many things such as foods, smells, flashes of heat or cold. Eating bland foods like dry crackers can help as well as ginger tea or vitamin B supplements. The good news is that most women report it lessens in 12 to 18 weeks.
When will my baby move?
Answer: Movement is usually visible by 8 weeks and becomes more pronound more pronounced by 12 weeks.
When will the baby sense my presence?
Answer: Ears function by month 5. That can be a good time for parents to talk to the baby, if not sooner. It can be fun for dads to gently tap on mom's belly and start talking to the baby by
name -or at least it was for me!
Must I have a baby shower?
Answer: Not if you can learn to change a diaper fast!
Looking tearfully into her closet the pregnant mom asks, will I ever fit into those clothes gain? Will my husband still find me attractive.
Answer: to the first question: Ladies that’s up to you.
Answer to the second question: He better if he knows what’s good for him!
The list of questions & concerns goes on and on. The bottom line for husbands and other family members is to show much sensitivity and tender loving care to pregnant moms at this miraculous and special time.
Warmest Regards,
Michael J. Miller MEd, LPC, LCSW
Christian Family Guidance Center
http://www.christianfamilyguidancecenter.com/
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Introduction to Parenting
When you have children, it is sort of like having your heart running around outside your body! The experience can leave you feeling tremendous joy and exhilaration or very exhausted and painfully vulnerable. While children come into this world with their own God-given DNA structure, much of their development depends on your giving them your time, loving attention and application of skillful parenting.
It would be wonderful if each child came with their own unique parenting handbook, unfortunately, that is not the case. No matter how much we understand of general child development principles, most of us are going to have to invest in some real "on the job training" with each child the Lord blesses us with.
The most effective parental training programs will focus on the following areas:
- Understanding the unique needs of children across each Developmental Stage.
- Recognizing the Core Parenting Principles or Goals to be established for success at each stage.
- Understanding how to skillfully implement the Key Parenting Strategies needed to help children attain maturation at each level of development.
The articles that follow will help you with your "on the job training program". Please recognize there has been a great deal of writing on parenting for the last several decades. Some of it has been very good and some of it not so good. If you are going to do some extra reading we suggest you consider some of the trusted Christian authors we cite under the Children & Parenting tab in our Resource Review section. We strive to only endorse resources that are well founded on both clinical research and solid Biblical teachings. Click the link below if you want to go directly to this location:
Warm Regards,
Michael J. Miller, MEd, LPC, LCSW
http://www.christianfamilyguidancecenter.com/index.html
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