Is your family a mess?  It may be because your kids have taken control of it away from you.  Kids are wonderful, but they're much too immature to effectively lead a family.  God's flow chart calls for you (not your kids) to be CEO, and your kids (not you) to be support staff.  If that's not the case in your home, you need to set a takeover plan in motion.

Here's how you can keep your kids from running your life by operating your family God's way:

•  Be willing to make hard choices.  Expect conflict as you wrest control back from your kids, especially if they've long become accustomed to setting your family's agenda.  But know that stepping into your God-given role as a leader is necessary for a healthy family life.  Set your priorities straight: God first, your marriage second, and your children third.  Make decisions for your family yourself (if you're a single parent) or with your spouse (if you're married) according to how God leads you - even if your children don't like some of those decisions.  Remember that your children can't grow into the people God wants them to be if you deprive them of the kind of leadership they need while they're growing.  Commit to stay with your family reorganization plan for the long haul.

• Set a strong foundation in place.  Prepare yourself to lead your family well by reading and studying your Bible often, building and maintaining intimacy with your spouse if you have one, learning how to discipline with clarity and consistency, and providing the security of structure in your home. 

• Establish healthy routines.  Set and maintain regular bedtimes.  Take time to connect with your spouse after your kids are in bed.  Limit your children's extracurricular activities to just the very best ones (instead of a bunch of merely good ones), giving preference to those that build eternal values (such as church activities).  Don't schedule more activities in a particular season than you can handle without unreasonable stress.  When considering a particular activity, ask yourself how it will affect your family's relationships with God and each other. 

Schedule downtime to relax on a regular basis.  Schedule regular times to go out on dates with your spouse, just as you did before you got married.  If you're single, schedule regular times to spend time with adult friends and pursue hobbies apart from your kids.

• Pass on your faith.  Strive to pass on your faith to your children by showing it in action during your everyday life.  Don't lecture them; let your life serve as an example of what faith looks like and why it's important.  Encourage them to ask you questions about God.  Pray with and for them.  Help them learn the Bible.  Get them involved in a good church on a regular basis.