Parenting
I heard Chuck Swindoll share this one morning on the radio.
A father told a child to sit properly in his carseat. No was the response. Again the father told the son to sit and the child said No! Again the father told the son to sit and the child said No! Finally the father got the child to sit and in response the child said I may be sitting on the outside but I'm standing on the inside!
Thoughts?
Some of my thoughts were
The child did obey and that is good. However first time obedience must be required. Don't be a threatening repeating parent. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. (The first time!) We are called to be in charge and friendship is our goal for when our children are adults not now.
My final thought is this shows how parenting is so much more than providing for our childrens needs and getting them to behave a certain way. We need to train the heart. You can get a child to behave however you want but when they are grown they will chose what they want.
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp "The things a child does and says flow from the heart. Luke 6:45 puts it this way, "... out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." "
I recall one specific insident when Levi was young he came to me after he had done something wrong and said "Mommy I need a consequence, my heart hurts." Levi recognized that this helped his heart feel better. Children want structure and discipline and consequences. It helps for a happy healthy heart. They feel secure, loved and have the freedom to be a child.
Parenting is hard. Get support read Shepherding a Child's Heart. Pray.
Blessings as you do your best to raise your children and help those around you who are.
Alanne.