Blessing Your Children: How to Make a Difference in Your Child's Life

What if as a child and adolescent, your father spoke a blessing over you every single week, from the time you were born until the time you left home? What if he also told you how very much he loved you and cherished you? What if he continued to call you every single week after you left home and did the same thing? Week after week, month after month, year after year, he continued to speak love and blessings into your life. How different would your life be today?

What if every father in every home spoke blessings over his children at least once a week? What if every father told every one of his children how much he loved them and cherished them as least once a week? How different would our country be? How different would our world be?

In Jewish homes all around the world, this does happen, every Friday evening! It’s called the Birkat Banim, translated as Blessings for your Children. The father lays both hands on the child’s head symbolizing a blessing imparted with complete generosity of spirit, and then he speaks a blessing over his child.

So I ask, how would our world be changed if more fathers did this one simple thing? It’s hard for me to imagine. And we’re not talking about hours of time either. It only takes a few minutes with each child. If I had received this one simple thing as a child, instead of the condemnation and abuse, the sky would have been the limit for me. If my father had received this blessing, maybe he would not have turned to alcohol.

If you had received this blessing, how do you think your life would be different today?

If you have received this blessing, how has it made a difference in your life?

Now the challenge! I’m throwing down the gauntlet to all you parents out there! I challenge you, whether you are a mother or a father, but especially you fathers, speak a blessing over your children every week.

• Tell them that you love them, and how you will be there for them, in the good times and in the bad. If they hear it often enough (like every week), they will soon learn to believe it. And when they fall, especially in their rebellious years, they will have less fear in turning to you in the bad times.
• Take the time to tell them specifically how you love them, in addition to how much. But it’s important to be explicit. Tell them very specific things about themselves, their behavior and their personality that you really like. I bet you will see more of those positive traits manifesting in the future. Give them positive affirmations about the positive things you see in their lives. Focus on the behaviors you want to see more of.
• Tell them how you want them to have success and prosperity in their lives, and how you know they can accomplish it. How much more successful do you think they will be if they hear it often enough?
• Tell them that you love them. Have I said that already? It can’t be said enough. They are never too old to hear it. My father never told me, and he’s dead now, so he never will. But even now, I would like to hear that he loved me. It would give me a boost.

So the gauntlet has been thrown. It’s time for you to pick it up and make a world of difference in the life of a child – your child. I bet it’ll have a huge impact on your life also.