Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 13:24 (day
“He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”
Disciplining children can be terrifying — not because you might be ineffective, but because you might be more effective than you could ever have imagined. What children learn about who they are through what is allowed or disallowed will stay with them and shape them as their years unfold. What do I have to do to gain the approval of people I love? Does my voice matter? Who can I go to for soothing when I am tormented by guilt and fear? Who can I trust? Discipline includes punishment but is not limited to it. Parents will build trust when they acknowledge to children that being a child who needs to learn about life is not a punishable offense — that learning what’s right isn’t easy.
Great article today Bryan. You hit all the right nails on the head. Carrilee