Can You Recall a Special Moment
When Your
Parents Made You Feel
Loved and Cherished?
Not all adults can... and this ought not to be! One of our goals here at Train Up Children is to help parents understand the importance of their God-given role to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Making childhood memories with your children is rather easy when we take the time to love them as Christ loves them.
If your compassion for teaching godly virtues has fallen off, now is the time to make a change. Scripture says we are to "put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another" that does mean with our children too
--- (Colossians 3:12).
It's so easy to get caught up in the swing of our daily routine and forget to put on love towards our children. I see mommies struggle with the sin of forgetfulness. I notice because when I get caught up in my daily schedule I struggle myself.
No one is immune to the sin of forgetfulness. Forgetting to apply the teachings of Christ to our lives, forgetting that our children are only young once, forgetting to stop and take the time to enjoy what the LORD has blessed us with - our children. As parents we are to stay reminded to put on love which is the bond of perfection, letting the peace of God rule in our hearts.
Many adults have struggled with childhood memories because their parents had forgotten the love of Christ. Perhaps these parents never put Christ on, maybe they were lead by the dictates of their own heart rather than putting on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering in a "practicing" way. No doubt careless parenting will cause scares and wounds in the heart of adults ~ but let our families be different.
I find that making special childhood memories is not hard to do, especially when we walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. Let us encourage each other to press on to do what is right according to the Lord.
Some of my precious moments were when my mother would tell me character stories as she held me in her arms, loving and tenderly. There were no books she read from but rather she made these stories up as she went along. The stories she told were filled with excitement and adventure. Her storytelling skills were something that I loved about her and the fact she took the time to be with me.
I remember when she would tell me the story about little Tommy. In her German accent she would say something like this... 
Vittle Tommy vanted so much for his vater/father to build him a tree house. Vhen the day came to verk on it, Tommy vas just big enough to help hammer nails into the lumber but he vasn't vise enough to hammer carefully. Vhen his vater/father was holding the board, Tommy aimed for the nail carelessly, slammed the hammer down hitting his vater's/father's thumb instead!
The moral of her story - be careful in what you do ... it may cause harm to others.
One thing I think about when setting time aside for my children, is that, as they get older and we remember these memories together - I want to recall giving them sweet "childhood memories" in a kind and gentle spirit just like my mom did with me.
Let us remember that our role as mommy is to serve our children with kindness, humility, and meekness just as we would an adult. For it is so easy, to let our heart of compassion fall off and become forgetful of what it feels like to want a parent's attention. Harsh words can dart from our mouths with perfect aim, hitting the heart of our children and cause great damage to their soul.
There are lots of simple ways to make childhood memories for your children. We've had several women give us their ideas of things that they have either done with their children or have had done by their parents. Children will remember the good memories much more than the bad! But as parents, its our responsibility to give them more good childhood memories to pick from.
20 + Everyday Ways to Instill Heartfelt
Childhood Memories with your Children
As a parent it is important to create joyful childhood memories with our children so they can look back and smile. The daily blessings we create are memories we give to our children. Here are 20 to help you begin.
- Holiday Traditions: Memories created are usually passed on to each generation during holidays. When I was a child we played a special game on Christmas Eve. We had to look for the church and the house ornaments hidden on the Christmas tree, with only the tree lights on. The person who found the ornaments got to open their gifts first.
- Everyday Traditions: Did you go every Sunday and eat lunch at your Grandparent’s house? This is an example of an everyday tradition.
- Crafts: If you are not sure what crafts to do with your children you can always check outwww.orientaltrading.com. Or go to a local craft store. You can also find a good selection ofBible themed craft books
to give you some ideas. I personally use these suggestions in my own memory making activities.
- Day Trips: There are many kinds of day trips that you can take with your children. An example would be a trip to the zoo. Or a trip to a historical place in your state.
- Write a Story: Write a story together. Start the first sentence of the story. Each family member gets to take their turn adding to the story - a sentence at a time. When you are finished with the story, type it up, print it out and put it into a binder. Make a special memory token for them. When you want to add to it, you can write about a day trip that you took together as a family and have each person add to the story once again.
- Dinner-time Fun: Play games at the dinner table. One type of game is “The Island Game.” Pretend you are stranded on a deserted island and have Dad ask the questions. These questions are to help the children think of what is important. For example, “If you could bring only one item to the island, what would it be?” Another game to play at the table is, “I spy with my little eye.” Each person goes around the table and tells the family what they are spying on. Each person then gets 5 guesses.
- Color with Your Children: No matter the age, it is important to sit together and color.
- Take quiet moments to snuggle on the couch no matter how old your child is and talk about your day.
- Camp-Out: Camp-out inside your house. Pick a different room to camp in once a month.
- Baking or Cooking with your child instills some great memories. Try doing it as a family event and don’t forget to include Dad, too.
- Games: Playing board games is a great way to get the family together. Laugh and have fun.
- Night-time Memories: Take time with your children every night to have a special routine at bedtime - read a bedtime story or have a special way you say goodnight to each other. Remind them they are a special creation of God, and how very blessed you are to be their parent.
- Ask Your Child Every Day: “What nice thing did you do today for someone else?” This will help instill in your child the desire to be good to other people and also to have accountability. Before you know it, your children will be coming to tell you what nice thing they did even before you have a chance to ask them.
- Special Time for Each Child: If you have more than one child, make sure you set “special” time aside for each one of them. For example, Monday is Susie’s day to go with Mom on her errands.
- Sing Songs together in the car.
- Play Car Games while traveling. An example is a game called the Alphabet Game. Find each letter of the alphabet on the road signs as they go by. This can help shorten up a long trip and also helps the younger kids with their ABC’s.
- Take Pictures of an outing and put them together in a scrapbook.
- Memory Strings: Help children to create their own memory string with a long piece of yarn and clothespins. Take a piece of yarn and hang it up in the corner of the living room. Each child may have their own corner or space with their own string. Then attach different items of their choice (what kid doesn't’t like to be in charge?) to their own memory string. Talk about each memory as you are hanging it up and why it is special to them. Take an index card and attach it to the back of the memory item. Every month or so add an item to their memory string. When taking the memory string down, compile the items into a scrapbook or have the child help you with their own scrapbook.
- Professional Reviewer: Have your child take a notebook with them on outings. Let your child write about how they would rate the place or event. Would they recommend it to their friends? Have a notebook for each year and when they graduate display them on the table.
- Newsletter: Have your child make up their own newsletter or make it a family newsletter and put it out once a month.
"It's so nice to hear of real life childhood memories too, I just want to hug the neck of parent who took the time to show love and devotion to their children. You can get ideas from these ladies as they recall their special moments of love and wisdom in which their parents gave." ~ Adela
My parents adopted me when I was 5 days old. Every time that I would hear other children's parents tell of their pregnancy and birth I would wonder if I was special like other kids. So every time that I would start to question my "specialness", my mom would sit me down and tell me the story of my "adoption birth"! She would start with the first time she and dad found out they were going to be parent to the time that I came home and what exactly I did the first night! This along with my special bond with my mother is my favorite childhood memory!
Amy Phillips ~ www.theenchantedhollow.com
I was an only child, but my parents made me save my money to buy the piano I wanted. In second grade, I finally had saved enough that mom and dad bought it! I always took really good care of it because I had to use part of my own money! I still have that piano too!
I have thanked my parents many times for teaching me to save for what I wanted. Money doesn't grow on "trees" in the back yard, as we all now, but children today don't have the patience to save their money. My parents are both deceased now, but I am still thankful for the many lessons they took time to teach me.
They also took me to the neat spots in our state to teach me about the state's history! It was great to be in a class, have the teacher mention a tourist attraction and be able to say "I've BEEN there!" Usually I was about the only one who had ever been to those places. I am grateful that my parents didn't "spoil" me, as people are always surprised to find out that I'm an only child!
Linda ~
My Sunday school class was scheduled to sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" on stage during a Church service. It was very important to me to know all the words and not embarrass myself or my classmates. One night shortly before Christmas, my Mom sat down at her little organ and started playing the familiar tune and called me over to sing it with her.
This was a very special moment to me because I loved signing, my Mom's organ playing and my Mom was spending time alone with me, helping just me. Even though there were four of us children, not one of us ever felt neglected or less important than the other in my Mom's eyes!
Elaine K Stephen ~
The best memory I have from my childhood was the surprise party my dad threw for me. Since my parents were divorced, I had no idea he was throwing me the birthday party and he did a good job at hiding it. Took me out for something minor to make me think that was my "party", but all my family was at his house when we came back. When I was a kid, this was something I had always wanted, so it did make me feel special that he'd paid attention to that fact.
Kara Kelso ~ www.idea-queen.com
My favorite childhood memory is my mother making me a christmas dress each year. My parents didn't have a lot of money, so our major present was a dress - and it always had lots of flowers, lace and frilly bits - everything a young girl could want! I remember running in to the Christmas tree each year just to see the dress. It's a tradition I'd like to keep up with my kids. I think it tells me about how time, effort and love outweigh the power of money.
Julie Knight ~ Pure New Zealand Merino Wraps and Beanies for Baby. What a great gift! www.babylovemerino.com
My favorite childhood memory is that every saturday was my day with my mom... no little brother tagging along, my mom would take me to Woolworth's and let me get one record or some other small thing and then we would have a hot fudge sundae or pie..it was great knowing it was our special day.
We also used to go camping for 3 weeks in the summer and I have very fond memories of the camp fires and making the little pizza pies over the fire.. I have so many wonderful childhood memories I could go on and on..but all a new parent really has to do is make each child feel special as my parents always seemed to do.
Jodi ~
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The memories I cherish most about my childhood was our nite time ritual... Every night, no matter what was going on, mom said "Good Night, I Love You, See you Tomorrow!" It's a tradition I've carried on with my own son... It seems so simple doesn't it?
Melissa Baughman ~ Owner of Candles made from Soy
www.candlesmadefromsoy.com
I remember how every night my mom sat with me and my 3 sisters and read a Bible story to us from the big illustrated children's Bible. This was a warm family time between mom and sisters, but it was also a special time for each one of us individually. After my mom finished the story, she would ask each one of us a question about it. She would listen intently to our answer and then she would praise us for listening so well and explain why that particular part of the story was so important. Even with 4 children always at her heels, my Mom always found ways to give her undivided attention to each one of us!
Elaine K Stephen ~ Inspirational Gift Gallery
With Warmest Regards,
May God bless you richly with His wisdom!
Author of "Plant the Word"
Co-Owner TrainUpChildren.com
