The Essentials of a Healthy Home

The second vitamin a kid needs is time. He needs a father and a mother to look him in the eye and listen to him. There are times a child needs to be lectured and there are times he simply needs to be held. There are times when he needs his dad to wrestle him to the ground and his mom to swing beside him on the backyard swing set. One of the deceptions we don’t realize until years later is that we didn’t spend enough time with our children.

I remember fishing with my father. I remember seeing cold coffee grounds on an open campfire and listening to my dad tell stories. I remember playing ball with him at the neighborhood playground. I remember him loving me and laughing at my jokes.

I think the best way to raise a kid is the same way you raise a golden retriever. If you want to have a good dog, you take the puppy when it is born and put it in your pocket. You take it with you wherever you go and give it your time.

Your child needs your time, just like that golden retriever. No amount of success in this world ever replaces the pain of a child who strays from you simply because you didn’t take time out for him.

— Rev. Tommy Nelson

Find out if quality time is more important than quantity time.

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On This Topic

• Introduction • The Vitamin of Peace • Keeping the Peace • The Vitamin of Time • Quality Time Vs. Quantity Time • The Vitamin of Truth • Tell Me a Story • The Vitamin of Example • Living the Example • The Vitamin of Affirmation • Simple Ways to Affirm • Building Self-Esteem • The Vitamin of Faith • Winning Through Faith • Say Your Prayers • The Vitamin of Affection • The Vitamin of Discipline