Proverbs 6: 20-22 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
I like to put pictures, little notes and reminders on my refrigerator door - maybe you do too. As I think back over the last ten or fifteen years, there have been many little snippets on my fridge. Among other things, I like to keep a few pictures of family as well as some reminder type notes to myself to help me to focus on the Lord and His purposes for me. I'd like to share a few snippets from my fridge here in this post regarding family life and discipline of children.
When our children were younger, I kept a "Family Rules" guide posted on the fridge. These were the family rules that I had posted :
1) Love one another
2) Say nice things or say nothing at all
3) No hurting anyone ever for any reason.
4) Respect each other
5) Delayed obedience is disobedience.
6) Everything you do should indicate that you are a kind and loving person.
7) Choose to be joyful
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Discipline
Now as any parent can testify, the rules were not always kept but they were there set out as a constant guideline of expectations. I was told the most effective way of disciplining a child was to use this method -
Say the child's name, make eye contact, give your instruction to your child in a normal tone of voice, and only one time. The child will learn that you are serious and discipline will follow if he or she is disobedient. Disciplining your child is hard. But there are a few points that I tried to remind myself of:
A) Am I disciplining in anger or in love - it should be in love
B) By disciplining my child in this way, am I teaching him or am I just punishing him - the goal is to teach.
C) Explain why the behavior the child has just displayed is an unacceptable - stay at this point of talk till the child understands no matter how long it takes.
D) Carry through with the discipline you promised would happen.
E) Remember the discipline must never be abusive - either verbally or physically.
I like to put pictures, little notes and reminders on my refrigerator door - maybe you do too. As I think back over the last ten or fifteen years, there have been many little snippets on my fridge. Among other things, I like to keep a few pictures of family as well as some reminder type notes to myself to help me to focus on the Lord and His purposes for me. I'd like to share a few snippets from my fridge here in this post regarding family life and discipline of children.
When our children were younger, I kept a "Family Rules" guide posted on the fridge. These were the family rules that I had posted :
1) Love one another
2) Say nice things or say nothing at all
3) No hurting anyone ever for any reason.
4) Respect each other
5) Delayed obedience is disobedience.
6) Everything you do should indicate that you are a kind and loving person.
7) Choose to be joyful
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Discipline
Now as any parent can testify, the rules were not always kept but they were there set out as a constant guideline of expectations. I was told the most effective way of disciplining a child was to use this method -
Say the child's name, make eye contact, give your instruction to your child in a normal tone of voice, and only one time. The child will learn that you are serious and discipline will follow if he or she is disobedient. Disciplining your child is hard. But there are a few points that I tried to remind myself of:
A) Am I disciplining in anger or in love - it should be in love
B) By disciplining my child in this way, am I teaching him or am I just punishing him - the goal is to teach.
C) Explain why the behavior the child has just displayed is an unacceptable - stay at this point of talk till the child understands no matter how long it takes.
D) Carry through with the discipline you promised would happen.
E) Remember the discipline must never be abusive - either verbally or physically.
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