Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.If you want to be a good parent, look at how our heavenly Father parents us, His children. He gently guides and leads us with loving kindness, tender mercies, and correction.
(Eph. 6:4 NLT)
Discipline as taught in the Scriptures means to make a disciple out of a child by training. A loving parent administers discipline promptly and then works quickly to restore fellowship with the child.
When my children would misbehave, I would send them to their rooms to think about what they had done. When they could come out, I'd ask them to tell me what they had done wrong and what they thought the punishment should be.
This kind of discipline helped them take responsibility for what they had done wrong and helped them know how they needed to act in the future.
It also gave me time to release any frustration or anger I might have felt. No matter what method you choose to train your children, don't punish a child when you are angry or fearful of what you might say, because words can't be taken back.
Our role as parents is the same as that of the Good Shepherd toward His sheep. If we learn how our loving heavenly Father parents us, we can raise our children so that they will grow up to be loving and responsible. 1
Make it a point to incorporate these ideas into disciplining your children today. Also, think about how your heavenly Father parents you with such great love. He disciplines you then forgives you quickly, so you can get back on track.
1 Patricia Salem, Make Your Day Count magazine (Oct.–Dec. 2001) pp. 10–11.
by Lindsay Roberts
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers