Jesus loved kids so much, he commanded the disciples to bring the little children to him. That commandment referred to all children, including those with special needs. One of the duties of believing parents is to introduce our children to him. Guest blogger Amy Stout is here with Part 2 of a two-day series packed with resources to equip parents to follow that command.

Introducing Jesus to Kids with Special Needs, Part 2

As parents, we have an awesome and wonderful opportunity to introduce our children to Jesus. However, when you are a parent of a child who experiences special needs or who learns differently, this task can seem overwhelmingly difficult. Here are a few resources that have really been helpful in our home:

Bible Study/Devotions

• Word of Life Gopher Buddies Quiet Time: This is a quick daily devotional for you to do with your child. Each lesson is short and sweet and gives them a hands on activity that requires zero prep. Kylie loves it. Also, the lessons are easily adaptable based on your child’s abilities.

• Keys for Kids: This is also a favorite of ours. These are not as colorful, but the stories are captivating and so applicable to every day life. Plus, you can get the first book free or read online for free. The website also shows the ABC’s of salvation.

Biblical Training/Discipline/Parental Guidance

• For Instruction in Righteousness: My absolute favorite resource. Behaviors are listed topically. (Example: anger, pride, friendship, and so on.) Each section is divided into: what the Bible says about this, what are the consequences if you don’t do as the Bible says, what are the blessings if you do what the Bible says, examples of Bible characters who did and did not obey and what happened to them, practical ideas of object lessons and other helps for parents.  Much scripture is listed and reinforces that our children are to obey God’s word through parental instruction.

This really helps our family reinforce that Kylie is not just disobeying/obeying us as her parents, but more importantly she is disobeying/obeying God.  It also gives us ideas of the good things she is doing so we can reward and encourage her appropriately as we see these positive behaviors. I love that discipline is not just negative… but what it is supposed to be–teaching and training.

• The Child Training Bible: This website gives you a full tutorial, shopping list and tips on how to use the Child Training Bible. While it is time consuming to put together, it is a great resource. You simply follow the tabs for scriptural helps to teach your child about that issue or concern in the Bible. They also offer a Virtue Training Bible.

• The Five Love Languages of Children: This is an amazing book for parents. I can’t say enough about it. Knowing how to discern Love Languages is so important to every aspect of your life—parenting, work relationships, church relationships, and so much more. It helps with every communication style. One of my favorite parenting books.

Faith-Based Toys

The Fisher Price Noah’s Ark set is one example. But there are so many to choose from… See this link for a big list.

What Jesus Resources Do You Use?

Now that Amy’s shared her list of resources, it’s your turn. What resources do you use with your kids? Leave a comment below for the rest of us. If you missed yesterday’s post be sure to check it out too.

Introducing Jesus to Kids with Special Needs, Part 1

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