How good is my word? My four year old seems to be wanting to test it to its limits. And when he is done, the 2 1/2 year old chimes in. So, the test came with a pair of scissors. Matthew had previously cut Greta's hair (twice)as well as one of his new shirts that was a special gift from Grandma. Scissors had been off limits to him for a while, even and especially those little child safety scissors (since they can still cut hair and clothes)!
So, after Christmas, Matthew has a new pair of safety scissors, and begged to be able to use them. I told him that the scissors were only for cutting paper, and only his paper, no books and no paper belonging to someone else. I also told him that if he cut anything else with the scissors, I would break them and throw them away. The serious look in his eyes told me he understood, as well as the verbal, yes mommy.
We had company yesterday afternoon and evening. Matthew tried to cut the shoelaces of one of our guests. I didn't want to follow through, but Matthew needed to know right then, the first time, that I was serious. So, reluctantly, I took the scissors and broke them right in front of little Matthew. There were gasps from those who did not understand the behind the scenes parent/child battle that led up to this. I reminded Matthew of the terms of our agreement and how he had broken it, so I broke the scissors and threw them away.
I held Matthew in my arms and assured him that I still loved him, but that I mean what I say. I started to wonder. How many pairs of broken scissors have their been in my life? How many times has God told me something and I don't listen or try to do things my way? Jesus has given us many words of encouragement and many promises. He keeps His word. He means what He says. He is coming back soon. It will be unexpected for many, who haven't believed that he means what He says.
Sharon
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8 comments:
It's so awkward when we discipline our kids and other people don't understand why. Being in the south, there are many sugary folks who are happy to let kids get by with anything and when we bring them back in line, they think we are being too harsh. We ask a lot of our children. God asks a lot of us, but He is willing to do it in us- if we stay out of His way and let Him work. Great thoughts!
Good that you stuck to your word and when your boy disobeyed you gave him the consequence. Too many kids are brats these days. They get whatever they want. Good Parents love, train, punish, forgive like they should.
It's nice to know my kids aren't the only ones who do things like that.
Hey trailady - I'm afraid that letting kids get away with things isn't only limited, or at any higher level in the south. :( Unfortunatly - it's happening all over! :( I wish parents would realize they're handicapping their kids for the future when they let them get away with so many things!
speaking as a spoiled brat...it took me well into my 20's to figure out the whole action/consequence thing. You are actually doing him a service he won't ever apprieciate...at least not until he is a couple decades older.
So look, I was raised in a non-religious household, my father was an anthropologist, so I was raised with evolution as a fact.
One of our family vacations was to the Neander valley in French/German border where the term "Neanderthal" was coined.
There have been 20,000 family groups unearthed, not fossils, skeletons that are not human.
You would think with all this information around me I would be pretty strong in my convictions, the oppisite is true, I FEEL like there is more, obviously the vacation is one of my most vivid memories.
Does your religion have ANY information as to the explination as to how these skeletons got there, and why they look so different than us????
All I have ever gotten from Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormans is " The bible says this so, it is so ".
Please help Jimmy K.
P.S.
I have posted thi exact same question to many different blogs and websites, if I get a get an answer I will e-mail you back.
Jimmy K
First of all, read some modern history books. Many of the "findings" have been proven to be either falsified (on purpose)or an honest mistake was made and modern science has revealed that mistake.
After all P.T. Barnum went to court because the person who came up with the first hoax got mad at P.T. for stealing his idea and profits. The hoax was some kind of a caveman or bigfoot.
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