Child Training

I recently read this post by Kim C, and I wanted to share it with you all. I have been so encouraged by her posts on child training recently. This was a response to someone who criticized her approach to training her babies to obey, stating that some children just have a will of their own. Actually, I think they all do, but what do I know? I just have 2 of them. :)

Kim says,
"As parents, we help our children by teaching them early to have their wills bent to a visible authority. Then, as adults, they are better prepared to bend their wills to the source of all authority, God. The earlier we begin, the softer their young wills are and the more easily they are bent.
This is why it is so important to teach our children to obey! Not because it pleases us, not because it makes our days smoother and easier, not because obedient children are happier. These are benefits of obedience, yes, but none of these is the primary motivation.
We teach our children to obey us because in so doing they honor God now and learn to honor Him more as they grow. How will they obey an invisible God in the hard times of their lives if they can't obey us now when we tell them that 2 cookies are enough?"

Thank you, Kim, for putting my heart into words. I so desire to raise my boys in a way that would cause them to be sensitive to the things of the Lord, and so teaching obedience early makes perfect sense to me!

Oh, and FYI, you'll be seeing my new template soon. Dave is having one designed for me for my upcoming birthday! Should be here shortly!