“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” Proverbs 14:1
“Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” Psalm 80:19
Raising children is a no-second-chance experience. We might wish we could have a little robot to practice on before we have our real children. There could be a slot on its tummy where a read-out would appear: Thanks for combing my hair, or Please put a hat on me; I’m cold, or, Please notice that I am hungrier than you think, or I’ll be happier if you make me obey, or If you keep treating me like that, I will run away when I am 16. However, the Lord has not seen fit to give us a trial run, so we have to cultivate a sense of responsibility toward our children and depend on Him to give us wisdom.
When God gives us a child, we want to see our child happy. To do this, we sometimes must make the child sad because he may want things that aren’t good for him. Discipline may make him unhappy in the short term, but having his own foolish way will bring him even more unhappiness.
Obedient children make a happy home. Obedience training needs to start at a young age. Let us make it pleasant for our little one to obey by setting him up for success. For example, to teach him to come when called, Mommy stands at a short distance and calls in a smiling voice, “Come.” Daddy carries him to mommy. Both parents laugh and say, “Good baby!” The more enthusiasm and joy we show, the better he will learn. Joyful learning establishes rapport, love and respect.