Growing in Wisdom as a Parent | Church of the Open Door

LifeGroup Questions: Applying the Teaching to Our Life

Have you ever entered into training for a sport or your job or something else? What parallels do you see between that training and parental training?
What are some of the more popular goals people have for their kids? Once you have heard a few responses, then evaluate: in what ways are they adequate or inadequate goals?
If you are a seasoned parent in your group, what do you think is the most helpful advice you could pass along to younger parents?
If all of your children have left home, look back on your parenting days: which stage of parenting did you find most difficult? Which did you find most enjoyable?
If you have kids at home right now, what are some of the goals you have for them that you are working towards?
End your group time by praying for each other and some of the goals or challenges that have been mentioned.

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“Growing in Wisdom as a Parent”
Proverbs 24:3 & 22:6

1. Wise parents understand the power of training.

What gets rewarded gets repeated

What gets repeated gets embedded

2. Wise parents have goals for each stage of parenting.

Nurturing Trainer (0-1)

Primary goals: Helping them feel loved and secure; learn to trust.

Primary skills: Attentive observation, showing love and affection, meeting

needs, creating a schedule, wisdom.

Directive Trainer (1-5)

Primary goals: Helping them feel loved; learn to listen and obey.

Know God loves them.

Primary skills: Attentive observation, showing love and affection, patient

instruction, positive reinforcement, loving discipline, wisdom.

Encouraging Trainer (5-12)

Primary goals: Helping them feel loved; begin to learn to make wise decisions.

Learn God’s character.

Primary skills: Attentive observation, showing love and affection, positive

reinforcement, delegation, letting them fail, loving discipline, wisdom.

Supportive Coach (12-17)

Primary goals: Helping them feel accepted, keeping communication open,

choosing healthy friends, making wise decisions, pursue God’s

purpose for their life.

Primary skills: Attentive observation, showing love and affection, positive

reinforcement, delegation, letting them fail, loving discipline, letting go,

communication, wisdom.

Caring Consultant (18+)

Primary goals: Help them feel supported, help them to discern.

Primary skills: Letting go, showing love and affection, wisdom.

3. Wise parents have a clear overall goal in their training.

The goal of parental training: To help your kids become like Christ

Core CHRISTlike Characteristic: Relates with Other-Centered Love/Loving People