7 Christian Parenting Tips for Raising Well-Behaved, Trustworthy Toddlers

As Christian moms, we desire to raise good, well-behaved, and trustworthy children who will grow up living for Jesus. By integrating faith-based principles into daily parenting, we can guide our toddlers toward demonstrating the fruit of the spirit like goodness and faithfulness. Here are seven essential tips to help you on this meaningful journey of raising well-behaved, trustworthy toddlers.

Establish Clear Rules and Consequences

Children need clear boundaries to understand what is expected of them. Set clear expectations for your child. Provide simple, consistent rules about behavior and explain the consequences when they are broken. Enforcing these rules consistently helps toddlers understand the importance of following them.

Be prepared to be repetitive. You will need to repeat yourself and your expectations frequently. You may find that reviewing the rules before starting an activity is effective. (e.g. Review the expectations before your bedtime routine each night) To help with this, create a chart with family rules (use pictures for toddlers) and display it where your child can see it. Regularly review the rules and make sure that consequences are fair and consistently applied.

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Put God First at Home

Create a natural habit of putting God first at home. When beginning the day with your child, teach them to put God first. This can include singing praise and worship songs while getting dressed or reading bible stories before breakfast. You can guide your child in doing something Christ-centered before playtime or screen time. This practice will train them and get them in the habit of giving God the first part of their day.

You can model this for your child by allowing them to see you putting God first. Consider including them in your morning devotional time. As a family, commit to praying over your food before eating a snack or meal. You can also pray when you wake up or before bedtime. Pray for healing when someone gets hurt. These practices place God at the center and teach your child to begin to do this in their personal lives.

Encourage Responsibility

Assign age-appropriate chores, tasks, and responsibilities to teach your toddler accountability and the importance of their contributions toward the family. This helps them develop a sense of duty and pride in their work. It teaches them that they are valuable and encourages positive self-esteem and confidence. Give your child simple tasks like picking up toys, helping set the table, or assisting with housework. Praise them when they complete the tasks they’ve been given to teach intrinsic reward.

Practice Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a core Christian value that teaches humility and compassion. Jesus is our role model. He forgave us, so we forgive others. Encourage your toddler to forgive others and seek forgiveness when they have wronged someone. Teach the importance of letting go and not holding grudges.

When a child masters this concept early, it will help mitigate some negative behaviors that come from unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is toxic, harmful, and unhealthy. Teaching the importance of letting things go and forgiving others can help prevent your child from experiencing the negative impacts of holding grudges.

Share stories from the Bible that highlight forgiveness. E.g. the parable of the Prodigal Son. Have a conversation about how forgiveness can change relationships and bring peace to our hearts. Discuss how we please God when we forgive others.

Encourage Problem-Solving

Help your children develop problem-solving skills to teach them to handle challenges and boost their confidence. Instead of immediately solving problems for them, guide them through the process of finding solutions by themselves. You can do this by asking guiding questions to help encourage their thought process.

If your child is having a conflict, talk about different ways they can approach the situation. Encourage them to think of possible solutions and the outcomes. This empowers them to make thoughtful decisions and learn from their experiences.

Encourage Open Communication

Encourage your children to talk openly with you about their feelings, concerns, and mistakes. Allow them to feel comfortable being honest with you. Provide a safe place for them. When kids feel safe to communicate without fear of harsh judgment or punishment, they are more likely to be honest and open in their communication. Practice actively listening to your children (and husband). Show empathy when your child shares something with you, and resist the urge to correct or scold them immediately.

Slow Down and Self-Evaluate

Take time to slow down and self-evaluate. What types of behaviors do you exhibit? Would you like to see your behavior mirrored by your children? Children often grow up to be like their parents in many ways. They pick up habits, tendencies, and behaviors from their mother and father.

When we slow down and self-evaluate, we can consider things that we may want to adjust in our personal lives to model goodness and faithfulness. If you identify an area that you aren’t proud of, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in that area.

Final Thoughts about Raising Well-Behaved, Trustworthy Toddlers

Raising children for God’s glory is an intentional responsibility, and it’s worth it. When we teach our children the fruit of the spirit we allow them to practice living according to God’s word. When we follow God’s blueprint and train our children in the way that they should go, we can rest assured that they will not depart from it. One of the benefits of training them in this way is raising well-behaved, trustworthy toddlers who we enjoy spending our time with.