What God Says About Disciplining Children (Part 4)

If children are taught the meaning of the word "No" from the early days of their lives, raising them will be much easier, and you will be happy you taught them this little word. On the other hand, if they grow from infants to toddlers without having learned this word through consistent discipline, life will certainly be more difficult.

If they are allowed to reach adolescence with no discipline or understanding of the word "No", I guarantee that you have had many calls from school teachers and administrators, and mostly likely you've had run-ins with other parents over issues concerning children.

Parents who fail to follow God's mandate for discipline live in a world where their child is always right, and can do no wrong (at least in their eyes). As parents you must wake up and realize that children are just that--children; they have to be taught right from wrong, and what's good and bad.

If you put blinders on and never acknowledge their misbehavior through disciplining them, you are doing them a huge disservice. Children really do appreciate boundaries and guidelines. If you would ask adults today who were disciplined as children, they would tell you that they appreciate the fact that their parents raised them with good discipline.

If you are reading this and realize that you must change your approach to discipline, I want you to know that it's not too late. However, depending on the age of your child it could be more difficult. The younger they are, the easier it will be to implement change. The older they are, the more difficult it will be. If they have reached their teen years it will be extremely difficult and few parents have the grit to enforce the change. However, you have got to start somewhere.

Here are some tips to help with discipline:

1. Start early at toddler age.

2. As children grow into their early teen years discipline measures should be altered moving away from coporal punishment toward other suitable measures. Keep in mind, if you have disciplined consistently all along there will be less and less need for corporal punishment. They will have respect for you and will not be defiant because of their upbringing.

3. Never provoke your children to wrath. If you do, they will rebel. Examples below:

• Show them courtesy and respect by disciplining them in private.


• Don't chew them out in front of their friends.


• Acknowlege the things they have done well, rather than always telling them what they've done wrong.


• Don't set a standard so high that no one could reach it. If you do, you have set them up for failure.


• No matter what they've done, he/she is still your child. Let them know that this will never change, and your love for them will never change.

Finally, keep in mind that "All discipline is an act of love for the child".