MEN’S MISSIONARY UNION FELLOWSHIP ON Biblical reminder: The generations of Abraham

MAY 19,2024 to Isaac to Jacob to the Jacob’s children.

(Genesis)
THEME: FATHER-CHILDREN RELATIONSHIP
4. Detect the uniqueness in your child as
WEEK 1 > HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN
early as possible. Tiger Wood -an
TO MAKE THEM LISTEN TO YOU
American professional golfer was
TEXT: PROVERBS 22:6; 7:1-3 discovered at an early stage by his
father that he liked using stick or
INTRODUCTION anything that looks like a stick to hit
1. Parents are moulders of lives of their back a ball thrown at him. Instead of
children just like a potter mould out a rebuking the child to use legs like
pot from a clay. In other words, others, he rather exposed him to sport
whatever you see in a child is an where they use stick to hit the ball.
indication of what the parent moulds Today he is a champion golfer. Some of
him or her to become. us would have been binding and losing
2. Parents are disciplers of their children. with all forms of prayer. Know your
3. Whatever we want to see in our society child’s uniqueness and help him or her
is what we should sow in our children. to become strong in that area.
4. Love is the bedrock of godly parenting 5. Adjust to the communication pattern of
or Father –children relationship your child. Some children will never
5. The father of a prodigal son is an become their best if the parents do not
example of a great and loving father. understand the type of communication
(Luke 15:11-32) pattern that the child is receptive to.
6. When you claim to love your children as 6. Use positive expressions and not
a father, what should be the proves of negative ones: For example, “Please
your love to that child according to our leave that door open” is better than
bible texts above and the example of “Don’t close that door” ( You all could
the father of the prodigal son? Training come up with more examples of
or showing them the right direction, do positivity in this regard)
not abandon the child, welcome, 7. Do not just make statement or form
forgive and celebrate your child no policy. You will need to explain to them
matter what happens. the reason behind it. For instance “Stop
throwing the ball” or “stop jumping”
Moral Lessons could be stated as “Your jumping makes
1. Your child is a reflection of you and the me feel uncomfortable because I don’t
environment you raised him or her. want you to get injured”
2. If you have some defects already in 8. Sound like you mean it: That does not
your life, then fix yourself first before mean you will scream but the tone of
thinking of fixing your child. your voice communicates a lot to your
3. If your own upbringing was faulty, child.
please don’t repeat that with your own 9. Your child is unique and wired
child. differently from other children,
therefore get to know the child and
develop a skill in communication with

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that child in the way that he or she will advice. Don’t be an absent
best understand and accept. father to them. Be
(Remember your child must not be deliberate about your
communicated with just exactly the listening to them. Do not
way your neighbor does to their own shout them down.
children). 2. Treat your teens with
respect. Again, listen to
them when they talk and
Week 2: HOW TO BUILD A stop criticizing them. Stop
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR TEENAGE that open disgrace and
CHILDREN insultive words even when
Proverbs 1:8-19 they go wrong.
3. Tap into your own
You will wander why your experiences: Put yourself in
teenage child is behaving the way he or their shoes. You have been
she is behaving. Parenting during the in that stage before, so, try
teen years is challenging. The reason is and share your failures ,
because they are in-between the successes and regrets with
childhood and adulthood. (Neither here them and use that to
nor there). Christina Fox says “Our teens counsel them on how to
are in a season of stretching their wings, navigate through their
trying out their newly acquired skills. It’s challenges.
a time of life to practice being an adult 4. Use Technology : The
while not yet being one. Some guardrails teenagers are more into this
are removed, others remain. They make than anyone else, so if you
many decisions on their own, yet we are want to help them , you too
still their legal authority and guardians. must get into it along with
There is much they can do on their own, them in order to understand
yet they continue to need guidance and their language. If you are
help navigating daily life.” not where they are, How
Teenagers act like they don’t can you know what they are
need you anymore but it is not true going through. It's
because you need to be there for them important to educate
more than ever. How can you do that yourself about common
without choking them? How can you teen slang so that you
keep your connection with them? How understand what your teen
can you keep calm with all their weird is talking about. For
and crazy ideas? What should we do as example the follow slangs or
Fathers especially? expressions are used by our
1. Understand their Worries: teens and youths both
Take your time to online and in real life:
understand their fears by  Dope - Cool or awesome
allow them to vent it and  Fire - Hot, trendy,
give them comforting amazing, or on point

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 GOAT - "Greatest of All  L8: Late
Time"  LOL: Laugh out loud
 IRL - In real life, as  MOS: Mom over
opposed to online shoulder
 IYKYK - Stands for "if  P911: Parent alert
you know, you know"  PAW: Parents are
 OMG - An abbreviation watching
for "Oh my gosh" or "Oh  PCM: Please call me
my God"  PIR: Parent in room
 Slay - To be extremely  PLS or PLZ: Please
stylish or successful  PPL: People
 TBH - To be honest  POS: Parents over
 53X - Sex shoulder / Piece of s---
 Body count - The  PTB: Please text back
number of people  SOS: Someone over
someone has slept with shoulder
 CU46 - See you for sex  FWB: Friends with
 LMIRL - Let's meet in benefits (friends who
real life occasionally have casual
 143: I love you sex)
 BFN: Bye for now  FYEO or 4YEO: For your
 BOL: Be on later / Best eyes only (may indicate
of luck / Bust out explicit photos)
laughing  GYPO: Get your pants
 BRB: Be right back off
 BTW: By the way  IWSN: I want sex now
 CTN: Can’t talk now  KPC: Keeping parents
 DM: Direct message clueless
 F2F or FTF: Face to face  LMIRL: Let’s meet in real
 FOMO: Fear of missing life
out  NIFOC: Naked in front of
 GTG: Got to go; good to computer
go  NSFW: Not safe for work
 H8: Hate  OC: Open crib (no
 HAK: Hugs and kisses parents will be home) /
 HAND: Have a nice day (may also stand for
 HMU: Hit me up Original Character, a
 HTH: Hope this helps / unique character in fan-
Happy to help art or fan fiction not
 ILY / ILU: I love you found in the original
 IM: Instant message property)
 IMHO: In my honest  TDTM: Talk dirty to me
opinion / In my humble
opinion

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Terms “lack of money.” Over time,
the term gained broader
Cyberbullying:
meaning, encompassing the
Cyberbullying is the
various challenges and
intentional mistreatment of
anxieties associated with
others through technology,
financial difficulties.
like computers, tablets, and
cell phones, and it is While the exact origin of the
surprisingly common. backronym “Serious
Absence of Purchasing
Sexting
Ability” remains unclear, it
Sexting involves sending perfectly captures the
explicit photos, videos, or essence of Sapa. It portrays
messages via text, social the inability to afford basic
media, or another digital necessities and engage in
platform. Sexting holds everyday activities due to
many risks for teens, limited financial resources.
including the fact that a
5. Talk honestly with them but
once very private message
don’t overtalk. They will
can quickly become public
respect you more. When
and viral. Sexting can also
you are wrong, accept it and
result in cyberbullying.
tell them you are sorry.
Talk to your child about 6. Be patient and calm: Always
sexting. Ask them if they pause before acting
know what it is and what especially you are angry.
they think about it. It can be 7. Display interest in their
awkward to talk to teens interests: Football, hobbies,
about this kind of thing, but etc.
if you take a low-key, 8. Get to know their friends.
informative approach, your 9. Allow your teens a bigger
teen may be more open to role in the family. It teaches
listening and sharing. them responsibility.
Sharing a news story that 10. Be more of a Parent than a
illustrates the possible friend: This aspects
consequences of sexting can emphasizes that we should
be a non-threatening way to discipline when we need to
bring up the topic. and don’t pamper.
Teenagers will do things to
Sapa, a ubiquitous term in test you to know if you are a
Nigerian slang, signifies a weak or strong parent in the
state of financial hardship area of discipline. Once you
and scarcity. Its origins can miss it, they do the worse.
be traced back to the 11. Talk less, remember you
Yoruba language, where don’t know it all.
“Sapa” literally translates to

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 12. Allow them to make their How to Deal with Empty-Nest Syndrome
mistakes especially if you 1. Allow yourself to Cry: It is normal
have done your best to 2. Reconnect with your spouse to
guide them against such. spend quality time together. Take
But be there to support time to go out together. Don’t
them in getting back on become friends with Television
their feet. programs and other things instead
13. Lead by example. of your spouse.
14. Talk about relationship 3. Connect with old friends
matters: Teenage stage is 4. Seek Professional help if you could
when your child starts not cope
having sexual advances 5. Set Goals for the future: It will
early. Instead of locking motivate you and give you good
them in the house, talk to health
them about various kinds of 6. Find New Challenges: Renovation of
relationships and the ones house, Attending seminars etc.
that they will not live to 7. Practice Self-Care: Run, Walk, Make
regret. time for relaxation, cooking etc.
15. Pray for your teens. 8. Focus on the Positives of your
children leaving home not on the
Week 3: HOW TO COPE WITH THE EMPTY NEST
negatives.
SYNDROME AND STILL BE HAPPY.
9. Keep in Touch with Your Children to
Now that you have brought up your child in the show that you love them even when
way of the Lord, it is time for them to leave you you are not physically in touch.
and settle down on their own. This is not an easy
Conclusion: Father-Children relationship
moment at all, that’s why some parent especially
is life time assignment. Make the best
fathers cry on the wedding day of their children.
use of every stage of it, so that when you
We are afraid of the empty nest syndrome like
get to God to give account of your
loneliness, emotional distress, a loss of sense for
fatherly role, God will be able to
meaning in life, fear of loss of control, worry and
commend and welldone, good and
anxiety, depression etc.
faithful father, enter into the joy of your
There are 3 Stages of empty nest syndrome: Lord and there your children to thank
God for giving you to them as a father.
1. Grief: When your child leaves home, you
are likely to be overcome by feelings of
sadness and loss. It happens from the
day of wedding especially.
2. Relief: After some months you may find
yourself enjoying newfound freedom
instead of school runs, school fees
payment, take them to camps etc.
3. Joy: This is a stage of settlement where
you enjoy new schedules and so on.