Self-esteem Archives - Train Up The Child

Welcoming a New Baby into the Family

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 by Sheilah

Henry is loving Violet!

This past week our 2 1/2 year old grandson became a big brother!!! Jon and Mallory have done a good job preparing Henry for his little sister’s arrival during the months of waiting. Henry absolutely loves ‘his baby’!!!

It is very important to assure the older child that he is just as special as the baby. A good Bible verse to use is “I will praise God for I am wonderfully made” – Psalm 139:14. This link has suggested activities to reinforce how wonderfully made he and the baby are.

I know how tiring those first few days are after having had a baby, but please try to be intentional with time together with the older child.

– read books about new babies
– look at pictures of him as a baby
– let him diaper a teddy bear
– give him special jobs to do
– be lavish with praise and hugs

There are a number of books and videos about a new baby. Here are some suggestions:

The New Baby by Mercer Mayer

The New Baby by Ruth and Harold Shane (an oldie but goodie)

Big Brother Daniel (DVD)

Big Brother Daniel (book)

The New Baby By Mister Rogers

Mister Rogers has an excellent song about when a new baby comes.

I Am a Promise

January 13, 2012 by Sheilah

This is a cute video by Kathie Hill Music that teaches your children the fact that they are special and their possibilities are limitless.

It is a live-action video using pipe cleaner characters. The music is the classic children’s song by Bill Gaither with new tracks.

More of “A Brother is Born to Help in Time of Need”

October 7, 2010January 6, 2014 by Sheilah

This week we are emphasizing the Bible verse “A brother is born to help in time of need” (Proverbs 17:17b)

Today Grant and I read the story of Moses in The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes; we talked about how Moses’s big sister helped her little brother in time of need. We also read Courage the Monkey in which the little brother helped his big brother have courage. We read a favorite again today We’re Very Good Friends, My Brother and I.

We sang this song: Grant has a new brother

We cut out, colored, and put happy faces on paper dolls of Grant and Hudson. We then covered them in plastic to make them durable to play with.

A simple activity but it gave us opportunity to talk about the fact that brothers are friends and that Grant can help Hudson and one day Hudson will be able to help him.

When Hudson was crying today, we stopped what we were doing and prayed for him to be happy and not cry.

I think Grant loves his brother!

“A Brother is Born to Help in Time of Need”

October 5, 2010January 6, 2014 by Sheilah

How fun to be able to spend time with Josh and Becca during these special days in their family. What a privilege to be with Grant as he grows to love his new brother. This week we are using Proverbs 17:17b with him and Hudson – “. . . a brother is born to help in time of need”.

Grant and I found a picture of an older brother helping his younger brother and glued it onto a styrofoam plate. I wrote the verse on the plate and we tied a ribbon to it and hung it on a door knob for him to look at all week.

Becca let Grant pick out Hudson’s clothes for the day. Grant helps with diaper changing by taking the dirty diaper to the trash with great enjoyment. He checks his diapered Teddy for poo often.

We read about Joseph and his brothers in Joseph and His Brothers: Genesis 37-47 for Children (Arch Books). We talked about how sad it was for the brothers to be so unkind to Joseph. We prayed that God would help Hudson and him to be good friends and help one another. We read We’re Very Good Friends, My Brother and I.

We sang “You’re Something Special” from Especially For Children (classic moments from) The Bill Gaither Trio. You can download the song here and see the lyrics here.

It seems like just yesterday I was using these same activities with Josh when Jer was born. Moms, don’t miss a moment with your little ones because with the blink of your eye, they will be grown and having little ones of their own 🙂

Teaching Self-Worth to Your Little Ones

October 2, 2010June 16, 2015 by Sheilah

(This is another lesson from Here a Little, There a Little, a compilation of Bible activities I created years ago to use with my preschool children. It was designed to spend a week memorizing the verse and reinforcing it through 5 Bible lessons and 5 activities.)

Self-Worth
(a sense of your personal worth and value to God and others)

Bible Verse: I will praise God for I am wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

Bible Stories:

Psalm 139:14 Did you know that God made you? He made you when you were in Mommy’s tummy. He made your arms and legs, your eyes, nose, ears, hands, feet. He made your inner parts too- your heart, your stomach, your lungs that help you breathe. God did such a wonderful work when he took all these parts and knit them together into you. I’m glad God made you. I praise God that you are wonderfully made.

Proverbs 16:4 God has made everything for His own purposes. He made you for His purpose. He made Mom and Dad and brother for his purpose. We must ask God what he wants us to do. God will show us why He made us and what He wants us to do with our lives. Let’s ask God to help us know why He made us. We need to remember that God has a special plan for us.

Psalm 150 The Bible says we were made to praise God. We should praise Him for His wonderful works. We should praise Him for being so great. We should praise Him with music. Everything alive should praise God. Let’s praise Him right now with words and singing.

Genesis 1:26-28 In the very beginning God made the world. He made plants and animals to live in His world but He wanted someone to take care of His world. So God made man and woman. He made them like Himself. He told them to take care of the plants and animals. He also told them to have children. That is how we all began. God made Adam and Eve and they had children. Then their children had children and on and on until your Mom and Dad had you.

Job 33:4-6 The Bible says that God has made me. God has breathed life into me. Because of God I live – I run – I eat – I sleep – I play – I grow. The Bible also says I belong to God. Since God made me, I belong to Him. We should always remember we belong to God and try to act like we are His children. God wouldn’t like one of His to act unkind. That would make Him unhappy. God made us wonderful. Let’s make God happy that He made us.

Prayer: Thank you God for making me wonderful. Help me to act like I am your wonderful creation.

Activities for baby:

Let him look in a mirror as you repeat the verse

Listen to music and say, “Thank you God for ears”

Let him smell a flower and say, “Thank you God for my nose”

While feeding say, “Thank you God for my mouth”

Clap hands and sing, “Thank you God for hands”

Activities for older preschoolers:

Look at baby pictures and foot print when he was a baby

Trace his hands and sing, “Thank you God for hands”

Let him smell different spices and say, “Thank you God for my nose”

Let him look in a mirror and thank God for making him so wonderful as he points out his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, chin, etc.

If you haven’t already, hang a growth chart on the wall and measure his height.

Have him color, run, jump, help in some way. Talk about how God made him so wonderful that he can do all these things.

Look at pictures of the inside of our bodies and repeat the Bible verse.

Video

This is a great video for teaching your little one how special God made them.

Songs:

You Are Special cd with several self-esteem building songs by Mister Rogers

Because He Lives mp3 download (second verse is a favorite I have always sung to babies.)

“You’re Something Special” on the cd Especially For Children (classic moments from) The Bill Gaither Trio I highly recommend this whole cd

“Blue, Blue Sky”

Singing and Signing “You are Very Special”

“Five Senses”

“God Loves Me”

Books:

The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes