With school children starting back this week, my friend Katherine , has been contemplating schooling and parenting for children on her blog (she will also direct you to links for other blogs meditating on the same subject). With a child on the way, my husband and I have also had many discussions on how we are going to raise this child.

We both attended public school. I was raised in a Pentecostal church. He was raised Presbyterian. I went to church at least 3 times a week and was very active in Bible studies, prayer meetings, etc. He went to church on Sundays until he was old enough to say he didn’t want to go. My father is a minister. His parents are divorced. I have 4 siblings. He has 1 brother.

We were both raised very differently and yet, here we are. We both are very involved in our church, love God and live our lives according to the Bible. So the question remains, what is the right way to raise your children?

I believe that it also depends on the child. With my four siblings, we were all raised with the same values, listened to the same sermons, attended the same VBS and Sunday School classes. But we all ended up differently. Some more dedicated to God, others not so much.

A great example is when my husband asked my dad to marry me. My dad said to him “Don’t you EVER hurt my daughter. She is very sensitive and I can make her cry just by looking at her.” Oh so true. Just knowing that I would disappoint my parents kept me on the straight and narrow. One of my sisters, on the other hand, could go out and party all night, deceive my parents and not really think anything of it.

All this to say, my husband and I have our opinions on how we will raise this child. But as he grows up and his personality becomes more apparent, we might need to make adjustments. And don’t forget, cover your children with prayer. It helps more than you will know.