The story of Adam and Eve is a great story to tell your children about self-control. If you have a children’s Bible at home, it’s one of the first stories and also found in the book of Genesis. God instructed them that they could eat the fruit of every tree, but couldn’t eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve didn’t display good self-control and eventually ate the forbidden fruit. There were negative consequences to their choices.
Our Preschoolers are talking about self-control in their classrooms this month. Self-control for a three, four, or five-year-old includes keeping your hands on your own body, using your words when you’re frustrated, waiting for your turn with a toy, or using an inside voice and walking fee when inside.
Many adults need to be reminded to practice using their self-control, too! As a parent, when you ask your child a question, wait 10 seconds before responding to them, as it sometimes takes a little bit of time for them to process the question. When you get frustrated, close your eyes, breathe deeply and count to 20. This will give you a chance to show your child good self-control when you respond appropriately.
God is good in that he gives us so many opportunities to practice our use of self-control. He always gives us another chance!
-By Jennifer Landrieu, Director