Best Starts: Breakfast and the Bible
“Breakfast is thought to be the most important meal of the day,” states Dr. William Cochran, M.D., FAAP, a past member of the American Academy of Pediatric’s Committee on Nutrition. “As the first meal, it gets the body going for the rest of the day. Approximately 8 to 12 percent of all school-age children skip breakfast.” By adolescence, 20 to 30 percent of children have completely given up eating breakfast altogether.1 Studies have shown children do better in school, are more attentive, and are less likely to be over weight when breakfast is part of a child’s day. All good reasons to make breakfast a part of your family’s morning routine!
The morning meal is also a great time to immerse your children in the Word of God. Choose a book of the Bible and read a chapter of two while your kids eat. Scott and I started with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We then continued through the New Testament. Our morning Bible reading became such part of the regular routine, our boys reminded us where we had left off the day before. This year we are reading The Story2, a biblical narrative.
A hot meal has been the carrot to get my kids to breakfast. If you’re not into cooking in the morning, don’t worry about it. Fruit, cereal, bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter, yogurt, and juice are good choices. The goals are to nourish tummies and nurture souls! Do this with a healthy meal and by reading small portions of the Bible, allowing time for questions. Point out how various lessons deal with real-life experiences, similar to what your child may be dealing with at school or with friends. One of my favorite Bible reference sites is Bible Gateway. Bible reading plans are available at www.biblegateway.com. Or try a devotional! Devotionals are great resources for families to train kids in biblical principles too.
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). This applies to Mom and Dad too! Read the Word of God everyday with your kids to help them draw near to their Creator and Savior. Try breakfast with the Bible for a really great start to the day.
1. www.healthychildren.org “The Case for Eating Breakfast”
2. www.thestory.com
© 2012 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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