They left on Friday morning with duffle bags, spending money, and an all-too quick kiss and not-so-convincing promise to try to remember to text me during the youth retreat. My  two teenagers. Weren’t they just going to pre-school and working on speech problems last summer? Who put away Chutes and Ladders? How did they get so independent? Have they grown up enough? Have I steered them well?

A woman’s heart has hopes for those she calls “children” or those she calls “spiritual children.” The youngest years are ripe with potential to influence. While we may still pick out their cereal at the store, God’s wants them to grow up, physically and spiritually. As my two drove off, I sat with my Bible and coffee cup and reflected on how I’ve influenced my children. Some victories, some struggles. I sifted out 10 Tips for Young Moms that make a difference in the life of a child.

10 Tips for Young Moms

1. Sing scripture songs ~ God’s Word becomes imprinted on your hearts as you sing truth and children will hear that you love God’s word.
2. Stop and pray  ~ Don’t hesitate to pull over, stop in an aisle, or find a bench to stop, bow, and pray out loud when prompted by hurt feelings, a passing ambulance, crying child, lost kitten, or homeless person.
3. Talk about creation ~ Instead of hurrying past a nest or driving through fall leaves without comment, let your children heart you marvel at creation and point it back to God’s hand.
4. Give children’s Bibles ~ Nurture reading readiness by giving your child a Bible early, teaching them God wants them to know and love it.
5. Carry your Bible ~ Children need to see parents take their Bibles to church and open them at home.
6. Journal their lives ~ Start a journal while your kids are in the womb, or if that time is passed, start now. Journal what you see as their life unfolds and God works.
7. Journal their salvation ~ If they start a relationship with Christ as a child, write the story and the details, so that you can help them remember it in vivid color one day.
8. Pray for them ~ This might seem obvious, but we can get so busy that we neglect to pray intentionally, regularly, and boldly for the hearts and futures of our children.
9. Feed your heart ~ What mom isn’t tempted to let fatigue, laundry, or discouragement crowd out devotions? Our time with God is the source of encouragement, wisdom, and strength.
10. Be hospitable early ~ Don’t let a little house, a tight budget, or a cluttered floor keep you from serving people into your home.

I’m so thankful for every time I sang scripture with my two, stopped to pray to God “on demand,” opened our Bibles together, had my own private time with the Lord, wrote about their lives in their journals, and served guests in our home. I think I’ll stop and text them both a verse & blessing. Every investment is well spent.

God intends that we and our kids should, “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,” (Eph. 4:14-15). A young mom’s choices during the sippy cup years can steer the future pathway of those she calls her children.  

• What’s one thing you can do today to steer your child or a child in your life for the future?

If you’re a mom who would love some encouragement and mentoring, stop by the MOM Initiative, a site dedicated to helping moms be the best moms they can be.  I’m sharing there today about “Expecting Stretch Marks.”