8 Ways to Help Kids Be Great

Sheri Wohlfert lists eight keys to raising children who are great humans and faithful disciples of Jesus.

I remember that moment when the doctor laid my firstborn son in my arms and through my tears of joy (and gratitude for epidurals), I whispered, “Lord, he’s perfect; please don’t let me mess this up!” For the last couple of decades, I’ve been whispering that same prayer every single day. 

Parenting can be tricky work and we may do things differently, but we really all have the same goal; to raise kids who are great humans and faithful disciples of Jesus. The culture we’re parenting in often works against that goal so here are some ideas for raising kids who are both great and great to others.

The sky is not the limit.

Our kids need to understand the concept of enough instead of everything.

Special is great.

Our kids need to know they are special because they were perfectly created in the image and likeness of God; so are the rest of God’s children. Sometimes we compare our kids to others, and we use words like exceptional, outstanding, and prodigy. The greatest measure of “specialness” is when we humbly use the gifts God gave us to serve Him.

Obedience is a requirement for heaven.

We learn obedience by following rules not bending them. Pope John XXIII taught that without obedience there is no peace. In this crazy world, peace is a great gift to give our children, and obedience begins with doing chores and turning in homework without excuses and exemptions.

Earned trumps given.

We appreciate the things we work for and earn. My grandpa owned a tiny grocery store and the counter was lined with glass jars of candy. He loved to give each of us a piece of candy when we came to visit him at the store, but he always had a small task for us to do first, like straightening all the bills in the cash register so they faced the same direction, before we climbed up on the counter to make our choice. Earning something builds a sense of true pride and accomplishment.

Not everything is fabulous.

The world of “super-dooper” everything is diluting our children’s perception of greatness. We have to be honest with our kids and be specific with our praise. Not everything they do, say, or create is awesome. They need to know our love for them isn’t connected to which place they finish or the award they receive. They need to know that coming in last or getting a C won’t end in a disaster.

Service builds compassion.

Jesus told the apostles he came to serve, not be served and we should not only teach our kids that, but make sure we provide lots of opportunities for them to grow their servant's hearts. True service is done out of love and compassion—and doesn’t require a certificate or a shout-out on social media. We serve because Jesus asked us to.

Speak the Power Words.

The three most important words we can say to help our kids become great are “I love you!” They need to feel it, hear it, and see it every day. Truly loving our children means all the things on this list. Every fall, kids come back to my classroom to tell me about their summer, and the best stories are not about the shiny, fancy things they did, but the simple things that required only the time, love, and attention of their parents.

Do the most important thing daily.

Pray for your children every day. Pray to see them as God sees them and pray for the guidance to help them become who He created them to be, not who you think or want them to be. Bless your kids on the forehead each day to remind them that at their Baptism they were claimed for Christ, and we can trust Him to help us be great.

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We may do things differently, but we really all have the same goal: to raise kids who are great humans and faithful disciples of Jesus. #catholicmom

Copyright 2022 Sheri Wohlfert
Images: Canva