Parenting is a glory from God, and grand parenting a crown of glory. From back in the Old Testament God commanded Adam and Eve to replenish the earth, and in Deut. we are commanded to teach the children the Word of God. The best way for Christianity to grow is by having Christian families, so they'll grow up and have more Christians.
To be a godly parent takes a lot of discernment. Jesus said if you hurt one of the little ones spirit, it's better to have a rope tied around your neck and thrown into the sea. So the discernment comes from knowing how far your can go with your child before you wound him/her and can make them rebellious, not trusting you and wanting to sin. God wants obedience form us and to raise His children with His way of obedience. (Since Jesus is Lord of your life and family, the children become His - not yours.) The children are to learn knowledge, discretion and discernment to stay away from sin. The Word of God says spare the rod and you hate your child. If you whip him/her, he/she will not die but you deliver their life from Sheol. Correction builds boundaries, the disobedience in a childs life is saying "I need to know where I stand". As parents, you show them their areas of boundaries with correction and build security of knowing they can count on you to teach what's right or wrong.
The best thing to pray is for your children to like the Word of God as if it were honeycomb and to want to live in skillful godly Wisdom all their life. As your children become older the best book for them is Proverbs because it teaches them practicality. A gentle answer turns away wrath so correct your children softly with love; and they will follow after you and respond much softer. Pray before you speak and God will give you the anointing to break the yoke, and the love of Jesus will win out. Believe me it works! With almost seven years in Day Cares, God has had me with 40-60 children in a classroom and when I speak gently for correction, they stop and listen. Even with one or two it works and then the others flock around because they want attention.
Hug your children - it gives them security and removes emotional borders. (Always ask God to let it be Him hugging or touching them through you.) The best thing you can ever do is to place your hand on top of their head and bless openly (let them hear your prayer). Jacob prayed over all the twelve tribes of Israel by blessing them this way. It's also a very personal way to bond and they are saying they trust you to get close to them. The worse thing is to speak badly about your child (you're stupid, you're ugly,...). You're their life gage for self-esteem, who they are and what they believe and tell themselves. Remember, they too are made in the image of God. What you're doing is cursing their life because it will have an impact on who they are and what they'll become. A child's personality is shaped by the age of five, and from that time on they just "fill those emotional shoes".
Watch over what a child reads, listens to, and says. As the Bible teaches the eyes and ears are gates for spiritual growth. Children will be impressed with what they read and hear and follow those teachings. Please be wary of the public and media of planting bad seeds in a childs' life. Toys can make an impact in a child for a lifetime. Some toys promote the "ideal" lifestyle. Psychology has proven this will encourage self-hatred in a child, for they'll never be able to attain that "ideal" life.
I pray you'll have the anointing to make your children become strong oak trees firmly planted in the water bringing forth its' fruit in season.
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