I have seen the importance of the Scripture: “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife” (Ephesians 5:3131For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Ephesians 5:31)). It is tempting for a mother not to let go of her married children. Tempting as it is to help, they are a new family and have to take the responsibility themselves. Otherwise they cannot grow, and in middle age they are still dependent on the “old folks.” One father wisely put it, referring to Psalm 127, “Children are like arrows. You aim the bow in the right direction, and when you release the string they are on their own.”
As to parenting young children, “Listen to them.” If you listen, you may find child logic that makes sense from their perspective. Be more positive than negative. You can test yourself by putting an equal number of puzzle pieces in each of two pockets. Every time you make a positive remark to your child, move a piece to the right pocket. Every time you make a negative (“Don’t”) remark, move a piece to the left pocket. See how you come out at the end of a half day. This will make you aware of what you are doing. The Apostle Paul commended the churches he wrote to before he pointed out their faults.
God gave us wills to do what is right. Guide the will to yield to His will, but don’t break it. It is better to will to do God’s will than to have no will at all — better to have a backbone than a wishbone. And never punish while you are angry.
Speaking of wives, we are not the heads of our husbands, as Ephesians 5 clearly states, but are their help mates. God used a rib, not a footbone, to make Eve. Marriage is a partnership. But although the husband is commanded to love his wife, she needs to remain lovable. Once she has met the “man of her dreams,” she should still work on maintaining her attractiveness — inside and out.