After having kids, you realize how important it is to stay reading the Bible. Now that my wife and I have a nine month old son, the reasons for always 'being in God's word' are more obvious.
First, the Bible gives practical advice for raising God-centered kids.
The first few months of being a parent are challenging. On top of learning how to change diapers, feed, nap, and find sleep, you worry and doubt your abilities, and whether you're doing things right.
This tends to fade quickly, but as your child gets older and grows, so do the things you worry about. You switch from worrying about diapers to dating, feeding to free time, naps to nights out with teenage friends, and finding sleep to finding a spouse.
Parents need a guide book for all of the questionable times, and more.
A few verses on parenting children:
Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
See also Isaiah 54:13, Colossians 3:21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Ephesians 6:4.
Second, the Bible gives you the rules and guidelines you need. It also gives you a third-party excuse. When your kids challenge you and aren't sure why you have 'stupid rules,' you simply reply, "God created everything, including me and you. He wants us to honor Him and all that He made. We decided as a family to follow the rules and guidelines God made about caring for His creation. If you're unhappy with the rules feel free to talk to God about them. Let me know how it goes and how I can help you find the answer in His word. I love you."
This makes it clear that the rules are not a set of made-up statements that parents create on a whim to get their kids to behave the way they want, but a God created guide for living His way. This also gives your kids the chance to connect with God and not get angry with you.
See Exodus 20:1-17 on the Ten Commandments.
Lastly, the Bible helps take away everything that isn't essential. Jesus says to love God and love others as yourself, very simple. No matter what the circumstance, struggle, addiction, worry, or pain, reading the Bible gives comfort.
God shares stories of parents and their children. He purposely seeks unlikely people to do his work in very different ways.
Reading about Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:20-27), Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19:30-36), and Abraham and his son Isaac (Genesis 22) reminds us that we're not perfect parents and doing God's will is most important.
