One of the things I have learned from my time being a dad, my time in youth ministry and my time when I was a coach is that kids and teens function much better when expectations for them are clearly defined. We should be telling them how we expect them to treat their peers, who we expect them to respect adults, how we expect them to give their best effort when it come to school and extracurricular activities. In everything they do we should set up expectations for them. That isn’t to be heavy handed but it is to give them a chance to excel.
God did the same thing for all of us. God gave us the 10 commandments not to make us miserable with strict rules but to give us a chance to live well, a chance to thrive, and a chance to live in a way that is helpful to the people who live around us.
So do you clearly set expectations for your kids? What do you expect from them at school? What do you expect from them in the way they treat you? What expectations do you have for them when they are participating in extra curricular activities? If you make your expectations clear and hold your children to those expectations they will be well on their way to excelling.
Standale Reformed Parents 