Hello noordinary parents. As a parent, for me 2023 was a year of unlearning wrong ideologies, understanding godly principles, and growing as a godly parent. There were times when I failed as a parent, and there were times I had godly upgradation in my parenting. Through it all, His grace has carried me, and I have understood how much I need Him in this journey.

With two toddlers, I have decided not to take 2024 as it comes. This year, I want to be intentional about growing as a godly parent and be a good steward of what God has entrusted me with. I want to share how I set my parenting goals for 2024 with you beautiful parents, believing it will encourage you to set your own parenting goals for 2024.

Parenting Goals for 2024

1. Surrender.

 If there is one thing I learned in 2024 as a parent, it is that I cannot do this parenting journey by myself. No matter how many articles and books I read on parenting, no matter how much experience I gain as a parent, and no matter how much support I receive in the natural, I need God every moment to raise up noordinary children. So, this year, I want to surrender as a parent to the perfect will of God.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

2. Uncompromising my walk with God.

 The best way we can teach our children not to compromise God for anything is to live it. No, it is not okay to skip church for any reason; no, it is not okay to skip reading the Word and praying one day, no matter how busy or exhausting the day is. If we can show them the way, they can walk in it.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

3. Be mindful of the media they consume.

The media in our generation has been robbed of innocence, not sparing even what is meant for innocent little ones. This is why we, as parents, must be very mindful of what we allow our children to see and hear. The eyes and ears are gateways to the soul. What we allow our children to watch is molding their perspective and thinking.

This year, I want to be intentional about what I allow my children to see. It may seem as though it is not completely in our control sometimes, but we can do what we can do and allow God’s grace to accomplish the purpose.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”

Matthew 6:22

4. Be mindful of what they eat.

It may seem unimportant- but it is important to the Lord. The Word of God says that our bodies(even that of our children) are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cori 6:19). If we allow our children to eat junk frequently, they will grow up believing it is ok to eat what they are eating. This year, I want to see healthy eating habits established in my family as I know that it pleases God.

5. Introduce them to an exciting and awesome God.

 As children, many of us grew up believing that God and things of God are dull and boring, whereas the things of this world are exciting. The more I grow in Him, the more I am in awe of this amazing, exciting God, and the more I understand how fake and superficial the things of this world are. I want to introduce this awesome, exciting God to my children so that no attractions of this world can fool them.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”.

Philippians 3:8

Dear parents, I cheer with you for your successes as a parent until last year, and I encourage you not to hold on but to learn and grow from your mistakes as a parent. This year, let’s surrender to God so that we may do parenting the Kingdom way.

What are some of your parenting goals in 2024? If this post has blessed you, write back to us and let us know your unique parenting goals for this year. We love to hear from you!

Happy New Year to you!

-Ria Jobin