I am putting on my bragging shirt!
I was asked to go with my daughter and her children to the movies. She doesn’t have television in her home, so every so often she will take the kids to the movies as a treat. The two older children would go with her to see one movie, and I would take the five smaller ones to see Peter Rabbit. They got one large popcorn and one large lemonade to share during the movies. After the liturgy of, ‘coming soon to the theater,’ the movie began. The little one next to me indicated to his sister he wanted popcorn, but I told him to wait for her to have her share, and he did without complaint. They did not get up and down, wiggle in their seats or misbehave in any way. They did laugh and giggle at the appropriate places in the movie, and all in all had a great time. After the movie was over I had them wait until the other people vacated to put on their coats and police the area where they had been seated. They walked with me to the lobby, and we chose a bench to sit on to wait for the rest of our party. The youngest boy was getting tired, so he was told to stretch out on the bench and go to sleep. This was at 9:00 pm and his bedtime is 8:00 pm, so I knew he was very tired. His little sister however was wide awake and just sitting next to me swinging her feet, waiting patiently, as were the rest of the children. We had no idea the other movie would be nearly an hour longer than ours, which is a long time for tired little children to sit and wait. But that is just what they did, just like Sunday morning when they sit in church, still and quiet.
This is where the bragging comes in! These children didn’t just wake up one day and decide to behave like angles in public. It is something that has been fostered in the home since they sat on their mother’s lap and was quietly instructed on how to behave. What was acceptable behavior in public and what is not, but when they are at home, they are loud, rambunctious, normal children. At church every Sunday my grandchildren take up two pews, and people have come up to me and ask me how we get them to behave so well. I tell them, (After I joke about giving them sedatives), that it is a learned behavior. With the grand kids I take to church we go through a mantra in the car : when it is time to stand, we stand; when it is time to sit, we sit; when it time to sing, we sing; and when it is time to pray, we pray! Knowing what is expected of them gives them guide lines for their behavior, and what to expect if they cross those lines.
Some of you may think this cruel and unusual punishment, but I assure you it is basic Bible teaching; Train up a child in the way he should go: The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Even Jesus obeyed His father when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane saying; Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. I could go on and on, about child rearing, all can be found in the Bible. And you know how I love to tell you parents to teach by example. To raise loving and caring children, you must show them you are loving and caring husband and wife, thus, teaching by example how you are loving parents. You can’t spend all day calling your spouse names and berating them, then expect your children to be loving to each other let alone you! Grandparents, you are not off the hook, if your grandkids come over and hear you grumbling about your spouse, your neighbors, or the people in your church, why wouldn’t they model their lives after yours, finding fault in everyone and everything? The book of Proverbs is a treasure trove of guide lines for raising children, and it is a free tried and true methods!
As parents what better parenting book could we use than the Bible? Children thrive with rules and boundaries. With rewards, (which can be simply be a “well done”), and admonishment for disobedience, coupled with a consequence. But they should also be encouraged to work together with you to do better.
We as authors, use on a regular basis, the simple ‘work and be rewarded’ standard in our writings. When we write, we investigate the subject of which we are writing about so it can be accurate. It is another example of the good rules given in the Bible: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. It saves a lot of worry and trouble if you know what you are writing about!
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
Proverbs 22:6, 15
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 6:7
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
Proverbs 29:15
Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
Proverbs 19:18
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Ephesians 6:1-3
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16