Teaching Your Kids How to Use Self-Control
Self-control is a topic everyone should learn. It’s important for parents to start teaching this to their kids when they are young. Self-control is when you control yourself to behave in a good way, even if you feel upset and want to do the wrong thing. In life we all will face difficult situations that will require us to use self-control. Below you will find examples of using self-control that will be very beneficial for your children to learn sooner than later.
Learning to have self-control with food is good for children to learn. They might be tempted to eat unhealthy on a regular basis or to overeat consistently. But they can be taught to have self-control and commit to living a healthy life-style.
When children are upset or angry, they need to learn self-control with their words and actions. They may find themselves tempted at times to physically harm or say hurtful words to someone who has bothered them. Learning self-control can keep them from doing actions that would get them in trouble at school, home, and other environments.
As children get older and grow into becoming teenagers, temptation will come to use drugs, get drunk, or to have sex before they are married. Self-control will be especially important because peer pressure is immense during this time. They will need to learn to have self-control and say no to these situations in order to protect themselves.
I also feel it’s important to teach kids that feeling tempted to do wrong is normal. The Bible says we will be tempted, but we are to resist it. It will be normal for your teen to develop crushes and to be attracted to the opposite sex, but they need to learn that they do not have to physically act out these temptations. They can choose to respect their body and save sex for marriage to their future spouse.
Kids need to know that they have the power to control themselves. This takes practice and time. Whenever my kids get upset I remind them to use self-control and to do the right thing. I tell them there are negative consequences for choosing to do the wrong things and that the choice is theirs. I tell them that I believe they can make the right choice. But if they decide to not use self-control when they are upset, they will have to deal with the consequences such as missing out on a fun activity or losing screen time, etc.
There are many people in this world who are experiencing negative consequences in their life because they lacked self-control. Many of them never knew they could use self-control because they were never taught. Think of people who are in prison because they never learned self-control with their emotions or how to keep themselves in control to prevent them from committing a crime. Some people may have got fired from their job because they never learned how to respect authority and control their words. Some people experience unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and emotional pain because they never learned to control their body. This is not to shame anyone. If you or someone you know has experienced this, there is always forgiveness, healing, and a new beginning through Christ. And you can always commit to wanting better for your kids and others. I want to spread awareness of the importance of taking a proactive parental approach to teaching self-control to kids to prevent detrimental situations from occurring.
Titus 2: 11-12 in the Bible says, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”
As a parent, I have committed to teaching all of my children about self-control. My teaching experience has shown me a lot. I want my kids to live great lives. And God has entrusted my husband and me to teach them.
Parenting Toolkit 6, Lesson 1: Using Self-Control is available to parents on the Shop Page. It has kid-friendly language and pictures to help parents with teaching their children about how to use self-control. Another resource available is the Good Behavior Goals and Expectations Chart. This teaches and encourages kids to have a good and successful day by choosing to show good behavior and self-control. It is also available on the shop page. There is a self-control coloring page in the resource called Coloring Pages Set 1 Good Character, which can be found on the shop page. I hope this inspires you to consistently help your kids in the area of self-control. Keep in mind that children and teens will need reminders about this often. Do your best to stay patient and lovingly help them. God is always with you and will guide you as you are teaching this to them.
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