Parenting with Love

 Opening Song: Love at Home (Hymnal 294)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns/love-at-home?lang=eng

Opening Prayer:

Scripture: Mosiah 4: 14-15 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World is a guideline for parents and how they can have a profound influence on their children's lives. When parents are committed to following proper parental rearing and upbringing individual lives prosper and progress in a healthy manner. 

    How we are raised is important, it reflects on our own parenting styles. These can have a profound influence on the upbringing of children. 

Parenting researcher Diana Baumrind believes that parenting styles are closely related to a child's behavior (Nelson. D., 2012).

The way children are parented will result in different outcomes. Look at this chart on Baumrind's breakdown of four parenting styles below:

Discussion: Go through the different parenting styles shown here as a family. Which parenting style do you think correlates with The Family: A Proclamation to the World? 

If you need to review the Proclamation, do so here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng

    Children need to be taught, loved, and nurtured by their parents to create happy families. Without this children suffer in development and the skills necessary to live a healthy and productive life. The authoritative parenting style creates the most positive outcome for children's well-being. 

    President Bednar has taught that parents need to create opportunities "to be watchful and discerning concerning their children." If parents are in tune with their children and their activities they can help direct and teach them. A parent's relationship with their children is important. A child's peers are also important in the adolescent years. When parents practice healthy parenting children will choose appropriate friends. It is still important that parents are involved in their children's lives so that they choose good peer relationships. Parents who are involved in their children's lives can observe and monitor the possibility of unhealthy relationships patterns and offer support when needed (Nelson. D., 2012).

    Authoritative parenting creates a space for children to feel comfortable with their parents. When this occurs children are more receptive to their parent's influence. Elder Robert D. Hales said that "the key to strengthening our families is having the Spirit of the Lord in our homes"(Strengthening Families: Our Sacred Duty, 2021). 

    Parenting children with love and discipline also falls under the authoritative parenting style. This is described by Baumrind as "firm, direct, forceful, and consistent" discipline. The prophets of the church have never condoned physical punishments to children. Children who are raised by parents with power and psychological control do not create the balance of love that authoritative parenting brings. This style risks damage to family relationships and to a child's self-worth (Nelson. D., 2012).

Scripture: Read and discuss the meaning of this scripture. How does it match the Authoritative parenting style?

D&C 121:41-43 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile, 

Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy. 

Video: Watch the following video of a family who knows how to make each day a good day based on the principles based on authoritative parenting and as taught in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. 

Activity: Write down some ways that you can do better in your roles as a parent or a child to create a better environment where the spirit can dwell in your home. 

Testimony: Raising children based on the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings greater happiness in this life. I have been blessed to come from a home with goodly parents who taught and loved me. I know that the research on different styles of parenting and their outcomes is true based on evidence that I have seen in my own life and of others in my life. I am grateful that my upbringing taught me the correct way to raise my own children. Although I am not perfect I know that Heavenly Father does not expect us to be perfect. Raising children and being a parent gives us opportunities to increase our own personal development and growth. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us. He has entrusted us with our children here on Earth to help them progress and carry on healthy patterns to bless their own lives and many generations to come after them. Each one of us and our choices makes a difference because of that. 

Closing Song: I Feel My Savior's Love (Children's Songbook, 74)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/i-feel-my-saviors-love?lang=eng

Closing Prayer:

References

Nelson, D., “Parenting in gospel context: practices do make a difference” (2012), In Hawkins, A. J., In Dollahite, D. C., & In Draper, T., Successful Marriages and Families: Proclimations Principles and Research Perspectives,.

Strengthening Families: Our Sacred Duty. (2021). Churchofjesuschrist.org. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/04/strengthening-families-our-sacred-duty?lang=eng

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