Lesson for Parents

Why are parents afraid to parent? This is a question I ask myself all the time. When children are yelling, behaving badly, kicking, screaming, demanding etc. I just want to say, "Would you please start parenting!" It is time to kick it into high gear.

I have a favorite saying that drives my kids nuts. When they ask me more than once for something, for example, "Can I go to my friend's house, can I have another cookie, can I watch t.v. etc.?" Once I have said no I mean no. If they ask twice I simply say,"I can't say yes because it will reinforce your behavior. And I love you too much to let you act this way."

Obedience is not an option. It is not because my husband and I have a power trip, it is because we want them to grow up and be obedient to God. If they can't listen and obey us, how will they listen and obey God?

Now if the family that has ill-mannered children are non-believers, my advice might be different Because they wouldn't understand what it means to obey God because they themselves don't obey the Creator of the Universe. It wouldn't make sense. My question to them would be, "Do you like your children?" "Do you like the child who is yelling at you and throwing his shoes in your face?" Because it is not the child's fault.

The parents have trained him to act this way. Every time a child is allowed to be disrespectful, the parent is training him to be disrespectful. They are saying with their actions it is okay to yell at me and it is okay to treat me this way.

It is time to train our child to become the adults we desire them to be. Discipline equals love. If you do not know how to lovingly discipline your child there are many resources to help. Here are my favorite:

"Dare to Discipline" by James Dobson
"Going Public" by Pritchard (I will have to look up the first name)


"Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death." Proverbs 19:18

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

Don't you just love Proverbs?