Important Tips Parents Can Learn from the Ten Commandments

Chances are, as a parent, you are striving to be the best example for your children as you teach them to live by the Ten Commandments. However, you may not realize that some of your actions could possibly contradict what you are trying to teach. Below are a few ideas on how you can better live the Ten Commandments and set the best example for your children attending a Catholic school in Orlando.Thou Shalt Not Have Strange Gods Before MeGods do not have to be icons or something you pray to. When you purchase a showy vehicle or expensive clothes and refrain from giving your time or talent to those in need, you are placing strange gods before Our Lord.Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in VainIntoning the name of God at a time of exasperation is not a form of prayer. Hold your tongue, not only in front of little ears, but always. Even “soft” sayings, such as “Oh, my God” at an inappropriate time is using God’s name in vain. Save these phrases for when you are speaking directly to God or asking for His gracious guidance.Remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s DayChurch on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation do not take much time or effort. Sunday does not end after Mass, though. Spend the remainder of the day celebrating the joys of God’s world with your family. If you are used to filling every minute of the day with plans, write “spend time with family” in your planner to remind you not to dedicate that time to any work.Honor thy Father and MotherYour children note how you treat your elders, whether they are your parents or other relatives. Being two faced, by acting kind to the older generation, then criticizing or laughing at them out of earshot, will tell your children they need only be polite while in the presence of elders.Thou Shalt Not Kill/Commit Adultery/StealThese are not Commandments we would consider breaking outright, but every time we watch a movie or television program that contains these acts of violence or degrades others, we show our children that breaking these Commandments is commonplace. As another example, if you find a case of water in a cart at a grocery store, make it a point to take it inside and give it to the office. Your children will recognize your honesty and pay it forward.Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against thy Neighbor, Covet thy Neighbor’s Spouse/Goods“Neighbor” has a more universal meaning nowadays, and these Commandments pertain to anyone outside the family. Treat your neighbors as you wish to be treated. Stop yourself before you lament that your family car is not as new or expensive as your neighbor’s. Keep in mind that any lie you tell to anyone is bound to catch up with you and snowball into an unmanageable disaster.Your actions will be the ultimate method to pass on your understanding of the Ten Commandments to your children. Prove your love of the Commandments through what you do, watch, say, and express. Your children are watching, so show them God is always present in your life. Faculty in the Catholic schools in Orlando teach our students to follow the Ten Commandments with every lesson. Contact the Diocese at 407-246-4903 to enroll your child in one of our Catholic school in Orlando today, and read our blog page to learn about our schools and teaching methods.