Did you know that St. Valentine had a heart for marriage, in particular? At a time when marriage was illegal, Valentine performed private marriage ceremonies at the risk of his own life!
Hebrews 13: 4 says that "marriage should be honored by all"; that includes our tots! We teach them the truth of this verse by honoring our own marriages: speaking highly of, working peacefully with, and having fun with our spouses. We also teach them this truth by honoring other marriages: babysitting a friend's tot so she and her husband can spend an hour together, praying for our parents' marriages, or gently reminding a girlfriend about her vows. Besides our daily behaviors, we can deliberately teach our tot to honor marriage by teaching them about marriage from a young age.
This week, take some time to look through your wedding album with your tot. Talk about how you promised to love and stay with your spouse as long as you live. Talk about your dress, the flowers, the special traditions you chose, the limo. Sing your wedding song. Let your tot try on your ring. Above all, make sure your tot hears you say, "God created marriage! He wants a daddy and mommy to love each other just like Jesus loves us!"
Then, plan a special candle-lit dinner for the family. Let them see you and your spouse sit next to each other, hold hands, and talk kindly to each other. If you have a bunch of little ones, this blissful plan might only last for 2.7 minutes, but the experience will influence their view of marriage forever!
If you are single or were never married, crash your best friend's wedding album together, and listen to her stories. Plan a special candle-lit dinner for your family and talk about the qualities of a beautiful marriage in your circle of friends. What a wonderful example of Hebrews 13:4!
And finally, before bed each night, let your tot hear you pray a blessing on their future, including their possible spouse!
Hebrews 13: 4 says that "marriage should be honored by all"; that includes our tots! We teach them the truth of this verse by honoring our own marriages: speaking highly of, working peacefully with, and having fun with our spouses. We also teach them this truth by honoring other marriages: babysitting a friend's tot so she and her husband can spend an hour together, praying for our parents' marriages, or gently reminding a girlfriend about her vows. Besides our daily behaviors, we can deliberately teach our tot to honor marriage by teaching them about marriage from a young age.
This week, take some time to look through your wedding album with your tot. Talk about how you promised to love and stay with your spouse as long as you live. Talk about your dress, the flowers, the special traditions you chose, the limo. Sing your wedding song. Let your tot try on your ring. Above all, make sure your tot hears you say, "God created marriage! He wants a daddy and mommy to love each other just like Jesus loves us!"
Then, plan a special candle-lit dinner for the family. Let them see you and your spouse sit next to each other, hold hands, and talk kindly to each other. If you have a bunch of little ones, this blissful plan might only last for 2.7 minutes, but the experience will influence their view of marriage forever!
If you are single or were never married, crash your best friend's wedding album together, and listen to her stories. Plan a special candle-lit dinner for your family and talk about the qualities of a beautiful marriage in your circle of friends. What a wonderful example of Hebrews 13:4!
And finally, before bed each night, let your tot hear you pray a blessing on their future, including their possible spouse!
3 comments:
What a great idea! Our Little Man gets all giggly and happy when he sees my husband and I hug or kiss. Kids want to know that their parents love each other. Thank you for the reminder and the practical ways to show our love for each other in front of our tot!
Simply beautiful!
Love your heart for all things Jesus!
Blessings!
In His amazing grace,
Jill
Ooo...I love this. My 3 year old has been obsessed with "marry day" since she saw the Sound of Music. It's a good excuse to pull out that video and proof book :)
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