Wednesday 1/31/07
Loving Discipline
He who spares the rod hates his son, but he
who loves him is careful to discipline him.
Proverbs 13:24
Children don't seem to understand the truth of the sentence, "This hurts me more than it does you." In fact, this idea has become a gag for comedians to use. But in reality it's true, isn't it? It's no fun for parents to discipline their children. Parents don't look forward to discipline with a "Yahoo, I get to ground the kid!" attitude.
But discipline is necessary. It sets guidelines for children so they know where the boundraries are. Children like to know where the lines are for what is acceptable and what isn't. Of course, discipline should be firm, consistent, and given in love. That's how God disciplines His children. Ther couldn't be a better example to follow!
How do you feel about discipline?? What kind of discipline do you use?? What has happened as a result of not disciplining when needed... or what happened as a result after you did??
WoW! Gina, this is something, that I've actually been doing a study about, and listening about.
I am a push over unfortunately when it comes to my kids. They mean the world to me, and I truely hate to punish them.
I came from an abusive home, my father, went way overboard, and as a result, we were very fearful. What you do to your children continues with them for the rest of their lives. As a result, all of us kids are messed up. So when I had my first child, I knew that I would never spank. I would never smack, or beat, or harm my child. Yet in fact, by doing that, I did harm him. There is a line which once crosses where punishment becomes abuse, and I feared that line so much that I didn't even try it. As a result, Corban definately became a 'spoiled child'.
When I became a christian though, and i began to heal emotionally, spiritually, and physically, God showed me that the rod, is not a tool of hate, but actually love. A child that is not punished is not loved. Though I loved Corban with my whole heart, I wasn't showing it, because, I was allowing him to grow into a man that didn't have consquences, that was disrespectful, and I was the one responsible for this. I was letting him down, by not providing him with discipline.
My children now, get spanked. I know that alot of people see that as a horrible crime, but I am not ashamed to state it. I have never beat my children, I have never left a mark on their bodies, because when I do spank, I do it with full knowledge and with God's peace and strength and love. I never hit my children out of anger, and I always talk to them before and after. They know their mommy and daddy loves them.
I regret my past choices. I myself am dealing with the consquence of not punishing my child as I should have. I deal with the consquence of not being consistant too... I truely am a pushover
. And it truely is the children that suffer because of my nonconsistancy and the lack of punishment when deserved.
When I am consistant, and I find that they are actually better behaved. I know that many think that if you spank your child, that you are breaking their spirit, that you are harming their confindence, but I will tell you, that is just wrong. Yes, if you go to far, the damage is uncomprehendable, but, when done right, done in love, your children actually do benifit, I truely see that in my own.
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him."
