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See how God is changing lives at CCC.
So your kid is in fourth grade now!

Fourth grade is a big deal! Kids this age are generally growing in their confidence…after all, they have five years of school under their belt! They are ready to prove that they can win. “Best friends” begin to emerge, and friend groups may be quickly turning into cliques.

Every kid is different, but here are some general principles we think will help you as you parent your fourth grader this year.

One question we believe almost every fourth grader is asking is, "What's my potential?" Fourth graders thrive on competition. They are ready to show the world how incredibly amazing they really are. The value for peer approval is on the rise, and fourth graders are entering the perfect place to learn some of life’s most valuable relationship skills.

When fourth graders come into CCKids, we want to fuel healthy relationships with other fourth graders and adults—leaders who can encourage them to envision all that God can accomplish through them.

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Your role in your child's life is to coach relational skills and allow a shift of influence.

Your fourth grader’s value of peer relationship is rocketing! They can empathize with others, understand different points of view, and are master negotiators. Your parental influence is shifting: your kid still needs you, but in a different way. They are seeing life through the “friendship lens.” This is an ideal time to engage their interests by including their peers and helping them develop healthy relationships by coaching relationship skills.

  • They think like a negotiator: “How can I figure this out?” You help them grow in confidence when you remind them, “You’ve got this, and God’s got this.”
  • They want to know, “Do I have what it takes to make friends?” You can capture their heart when you fuel healthy friendships and invite peers to join in.

Ways Your Child is Changing.

PHYSICALLY

  • Demonstrates greater speed, strength, & mobility.
  • Requires physical activity.
  • May show signs of early puberty (acne, mood swings, etc.)

SOCIALLY

  • Places high value on peer approval.
  • Seeks more personal space.
  • Begins to explore opposite gender relationships (but may not share with parents.)

MENTALLY

  • Can concentrate on one activity for up to 45 minutes.
  • Improved reading comprehension skills.
  • Able to negotiate rules and consequences.
  • Begins to understand abstract concepts but still require guidance.

EMOTIONALLY

  • Begins to demonstrate more insecurities and anxiety.
  • Begins to ask challenging questions especially regarding family beliefs and values.
  • Self-conscious about bodily changes.

The Three Most Important Things to Remember.

1.

You are by far the biggest influence in your child’s life. Your words and actions always matter.

2.

Talk about your every-day faith every day. Studies show this is THE MOST effective way to pass your faith on to your kids. Be vulnerable and authentic about your daily experience of God.

3.

Don’t be their bridge to God, light their path. No matter their age, they are ready to connect with God! You don’t need to connect to God for them, they need you to show them how they can themselves.

If you would like help or ideas on how to do any of these things, we are always here to help!

Resources We Recommend.

Books.

If you’re unable to afford any of these resources, please let us know—we’d love to help!

Teach Your Children Well
This book gives a brilliant, effective and yet simple perspective on how we can help our kids form a deep relationship with Jesus. This is for all of us imperfect parents with limited time and capacity.
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Parenting Your Fourth Grader
This has a lot of blank pages for processing questions which isn’t for everyone, but the other pages are full of very insightful information and practical advice or ideas that can help clarify how to engage with your kid.
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Roar Like a Lion
90 Devotions to encourage a growing faith in your child. Parents can read this at bedtime, or older kids will enjoy branching out and reading it regularly on their own. Really colorful and fun!
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Marvel at the Moon
Ninety more devotions that focus on God’s majestic universe, and the fact that He created each of us on purpose and for a purpose! Full of cool space facts, Bible verses, and age-appropriate action steps. Great for inquisitive kids who are science-minded and parents as well!
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The Four Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids
A parenting book that introduces a simple model and applies key principles for raising the ‘joy-level’ in our kids. These parenting principles are derived from the way our brains are hardwired. It’s a short book, and worth the read!
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Action Bible
A former Marvel & DC Comics artist, Cariello has brought God’s redemptive story in the form of a comic book – a very large comic book! With stunning pictures and graphics, over 200 Biblical narratives are presented in chronological order. This shouldn’t replace your kid’s Adventure Bible, but it is a great supplement to motivate them to get into the Word!
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The NIrV Adventure Bible
This is the Bible translation we encourage our CCKids to use. It's easier to understand, but is also a direct translation of an ‘adult version’ Bible. Kids can look up verses and begin to navigate through the pages of God’s Word.
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Podcasts/Websites.

Parent Cue Blog
This website is crammed with tons of articles on many subjects with practical helpful advice.
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Hi, I'm Janna Clark!

I’m the CCKids Director at Christ Community Church. I have been working in Children’s ministry for 25 years, and each year has brought me such joy as God has given me a passion for kids and helping them to experience who Jesus is and how much He desires them. If you ever have any questions—let's connect. I am happy to help in any way I can (preferably over an iced chai)!

CCKids is for kindergarten through fourth grade and meets during every weekend adult service time.  In addition, CCKids Club meets most Wednesday nights during the school year from 6-8 pm.

Email Janna