That’s how hearts are formed, minute-by-minute and word-by-word. You are the first example of friendship your children encounter. They need this friendship as a foundation and model for other friendships that will come in their lives.

Creating time of nurturing fellowship with my kids was just as important as training their manners or confronting their behavior. Before my children could be good friends, they needed me, their mom (and dad), to befriend them and be a friend to them.

Read more about this in 10 Gifts of Heart.