Preparing Your Kids for the Real World (Part 04) - Physical Development (Part B)

Watch the video of this sermon on YouTube: Preparing Your Kids for the Real World (Part 04) - Physical Development (Part B) For the outline and the rest of the sermons in this series, click here: Preparing Your Kids For The Real World To listen to or watch the previous sermon in the series, click here: (Part 3) To listen to or watch the next sermon in the series, click here: (Part 5) 3. Teach your children to be active. A. Child obesity has increased dramatically in the last 40 years. "Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity in children more than tripled from 1971 to 2011. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking. "Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. There are also psychological effects: Obese children are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image and depression. "And excess weight is associated with earlier risk of obesity-related disease and death in adulthood. Perhaps one of the most sobering statements regarding the severity of the childhood obesity epidemic came from former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who characterized the threat as follows: "Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents." . . . . "The prevalence of obesity (BMI-for-age values at or above the 95th percentile of the 2000 CDC growth charts in children ages 2-5 increased from 4.8 percent in 1971-74 to 12.1 percent in 2009-2010. For 6–11 year old children, the prevalence of obesity increased from 4.0 percent in 1971–74 to 18.0 percent in 2009–10. The prevalence of overweight in adolescents ages 12–19 increased from 6.1 percent to 18.4 percent." (Overweight in Children, American Heart Association, 7-5-2016 B. This is due in part to terrible eating habits. C. It is also due in large part to inactivity which is facilitated by TV, video games, computers, tablets, and smartphones. i. Kids were not made to watch TV and play video games, but rather to play outside (Zec 8:5) and to help out with chores around the house. ii. Previous generations did not have to deal with childhood obesity because their kids were not raised on TV, video games, and the internet. D. Though exercising godliness is far more important, bodily exercise is still profitable (1Ti 4:8). E. Instead of letting the kids play video games, watch TV, or play on a phone or tablet, send them outside to play. i. Limit the amount of time your kids are allowed to spend on electronic devices. ii. If you can't control them, or if they cause you too much grief, get rid of them. iii. I personally will not allow TV or video games in our home. iv. Nor would I allow my young children to play on computers, iPads, or smartphones because of the developmental, social, and behavioral problems that they cause. v. I would explain to my children the dangers of these things and why I limit the use of them, both before and after they are old enough to understand, with hopes that it will sink in and be easier for them to accept and embrace. vi. I would allow my kids to play video games for a very limited amount of time at their friends' or cousins' house so that they were exposed to it and wouldn't feel totally disconnected from this world, but I would not allow it in my home. vii. See the series on "The Digital Invasion" for a more detailed explanation of the dangers of electronic devices for children: /audio/by/album/the_digital_invasion. 4. Teach your children to work hard. A. Kids used to know how to work. i. In generations past, children grew up working on the family farm or at the family business. ii. They were taught to work from a very young age. iii. Not long ago, kids in their early teens got a part time job at a local business in order to make their own money. iv. Today, many kids never get a job until they graduate from college (if they can even find one). v. Growing up in suburbia, many kids are not made to work at all and are accustomed to having everything handed to them. B. Being an adult means working to provide for yourself; therefore, teaching your kids to work, and to work hard, is absolutely essential to prepare your children for the real world. C. God expects us to work fervently at whatever we do (Rom 12:11). i. Slothful adj. - 1. Of persons, etc.: Full of sloth; indisposed to exertion; inactive, indolent, lazy, sluggish. ii. Fervent adj. - 1. Hot, burning, glowing, boiling. 2. Of persons, their passions, dispositions, or actions: Ardent, intensely earnest. From 17th c. almost exclusively with reference to love or hatred, zeal, devotion or aspiration. iii. Whatever we do, we should do it with all of our might (Ecc 9:10). iv. Whatever we do, we should do it heartily as if we were working for God (Col 3:23; Eph 6:7). v. The man who is diligent in his business will go far (Pro 22:29). vi. Teach your children to have a mind to work (Neh 4:6). vii. Teach your children to be like the ants who work hard when they can and save for a time when they can't (Pro 6:6-11). viii. Teach your children that laziness is wickedness that God hates (Mat 25:26). ix. Teach your children that laziness leads to poverty (Pro 13:4; Pro 24:30-34). x. Teach your children that no one will want to hire them if they are lazy (Pro 10:26). xi. Teach your children to work in unpleasant conditions (Pro 20:4). xii. Teach your children to not make excuses for their laziness (Pro 22:13). xiii. Teach your children to focus their effort on working instead of coming up with reasons why they shouldn't (Pro 26:16). D. Lead by example. i. Show your kids how to work hard by doing it yourself. ii. If they don't naturally follow your example, make them do so. iii. Give them incentives to work hard by paying them to do jobs around the house that are in addition to their regular chores (more on this later). iv. If that doesn't work, teach them with the rod. E. No man or woman who doesn't have a strong work ethic is fit for the real world. 5. Teach your children good hygiene. A. Some kids will naturally want to be clean as they mature, others will need to be encouraged or even forced to do so. B. Teach them to brush their teeth and floss daily. This will save them a lot of pain and money when they become adults. C. Teach them that cleanliness is next to godliness (Lev 15:5-8, etc.), and therefore they should bath regularly and not go around smelling foully. D. Sin is described as filth in Scripture and salvation from sin is oft described as cleansing, washing, etc. E. No young man or woman who has poor personal hygiene is fit for the real world. 6. Teach your children about puberty and sex. A. Before your children enter puberty, let them know about the changes that will shortly begin in their bodies. B. When they enter puberty and begin to develop sexually, talk to them frankly and openly about sex. i. If you don't teach them about sex, their friends will. ii. Do not fail in this extremely important area of child training. iii. Let them know that they can talk with you about anything and encourage them to do so. iv. Teach them that sex must be reserved for marriage (Heb 13:4) and that fornication is a grievous sin in the eyes of God (1Co 6:18-20; 1Th 4:3-7). v. Warn them of the power of sexual temptation (Pro 5:19-20; Pro 6:25-26; Pro 7:10-27) so that they have firm principles when they begin dating. vi. Warn them of the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and how they can destroy their lives (Pro 5:11). vii. Warn them that having children out of wedlock has the potential to ruin both their and their children's lives.