PARENTAL DISCIPLINE

I am going to tell two stories, by permission, about parental discipline.

When his daughter and son were growing up, he wanted to teach them a work ethic.  These children were required to do farm chores around the ranch.  There was no toleration for laziness in this man’s home

This father planted some peach and plum trees out by his barn; the children were responsible for watering the trees.  The dad didn’t have a water hose which stretched that far, so the kids had to take buckets of water and water the trees.  One day the daughter complained that her dad knew her back hurt when she hauled water to the trees. She carried on thinking he would give in.

Today this daughter does not claim to have any back problems.  She used to have a work problem.  Her father told her exactly right; he wanted to instill in his children the value of hard work and discipline.

Fast forward to this daughter’s son and his time in school.  This now adult daughter and her husband were called into the teacher’s office and told their son was not doing his homework.

After the adult daughter got home, she talked to her son about his lack of study and poor attitude in school.  Then she told him since it seemed he wanted to dig ditches for a living, she wanted him to be the best ditch digger around.  So, he had to go out and dig a ditch in the front yard.

One day this son laid down on the ground and complained about what his mom was doing to him.  He wanted everyone who passed by to know what his mom was doing to him.  “Oh, mom, you’re killing me.”  “Dig anyway, son.”  When he was through, he asked her what she was going to do with the ditch.  “Nothing,” she said.  “Fill the ditch back in with the dirt. “

Today, the ditch-digging son is a fine electrician and well on his way to becoming a master welder.  He has a great work ethic and now his son is learning now what he learned from experiences like ditch-digging.

Discipline must be consistent and not sporadic.  Both parents must present a united front and not countermand the other parent.  This is imperative in training our children.

“If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:  shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”         (Hebrews 12:7-9)

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”      (Proverbs 22:15)

“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”       (Proverbs 13:24)

“The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do.  You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow.”   

 ~ General Colin Powell

 Eileen Light