When you are not watching, they are!
Yesterday, I was having a problem with my printer. When my grandchildren came home at 8:30 from Awana’s, my 7 year old granddaughter ask if I was still frustrated with my printer. She noticed that I was not having a good day. She watched my reactions to things that were making me mad. Thank goodness I didn’t let my frustrations come out in bad language or fits of violence toward my printer.
Simple comments about another person, or object, which is not in a favorable light at the moment, can say volumes to the children who are watching your behavior. Anger does not bring out our best attributes. And it is during times like that we must rein in our outburst and do a little counting to ten.
Those learning from you doesn’t just apply to anger issues. How tidy are you? How is your personal hygiene? What does the inside of your car look like? How do you take care of your pets, tools, utensils, and plants? The little things you do on a daily basis speaks volumes to your children and grandchildren. Do they see a person who is always on their cell phones, or someone who is benevolent to others, sending cards, or taking food to a friend who has lost a loved one? Some people think it is clever to say, ‘don’t do as I do, do as I say!’ Why should they? They see your behavior and justify theirs accordingly. How you behave when you think they are not watching, is how they will learn to behave. Little pictures have big ears, so while you are on your cell phone chewing up a friend or neighbor, or making shady business deals, they are listening. If you are cursing because you got caught speeding, spewing vulgar remarks about the police who pulled you over, is how your children and grandchildren will react to their personal relations with police. It’s when you don’t think they are listening or watching, they are listening and watching and learning the most.
As parents we are on call 24/7. There is no down time for bad days, anger issues, or personal problems. They are always watching, and will see the fallout from your behavior. How do you want them to behave in public is the way they should behave in private. If you think it is funny for them to curse at home, why would you be shocked when you get a note home from school for bad language? Do they see a person who loves the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind, or do they see a Sunday Morning Christian? One who gets put away along with their Bible, until the next time they attend Church? Remember, it’s when you don’t think they are watching, they see the most!
We as authors need to remember our works will be here (hopefully) long after we are gone. Did we leave behind something that will make the better people? What lessons are we leaving behind about behavior and character?
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up
Deuteronomy 6:5-7
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:14
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6