"My Flowers" - by Majo
Yesterday, I came out of Macy’s to hear a young mom ask a
two-ish-year-old two questions:
1. “Do you want to
put on your hat?”
(It was the kind of
weather that requires a child to wear a hat)
2. “Can you be calm?”
(The child seemed to be behaving very nicely.)
Funny – when I was a kid, I did not realize that I had an OPTION to (A) be calm, or to (B) act like a heathen.
The one thing I would wish for today’s young parents is that
you would behave like a PARENT and not like you have to be your child’s
best friend. I think the best friend
part is a given – you are required to be always be there for your child. But being a good parent is different and carries a lot more responsibility. There are rules you have to explain and enforce - whether you want to or not.
I am speaking this on the authority of the Bible. Dad and Mom are required to be in charge of their household.
In some things you don’t teach a CHOICE. You teach the RULES. You are responsible for teaching your child what is expected and what is
necessary to get along in this society.
I realize that small ones are sometimes going to have melt-downs. Children do that. But if they are doing it a lot, ask
yourself: By giving them choices instead
of rules, are YOU causing most of the melt-downs?
