Met a friend today and she said that I make disciplining the children look easy. Hmm…did I do that? If I did, I am sorry!
Discipline is hard, hard work! Not just emotionally draining but physically tiring too! Especially when one is 9 months pregnant! Lol!
But seriously – discipline is hard work because it is not a natural thing for us to do. We are naturally lazy people and the other thing is we want to be liked. Disciplinarians are not usually well-liked.
To discipline a child consistently means we need to set aside whatever we are doing to quickly discipline as the moment calls for. It is much easier to just yell across the room for them to “stop it!” or to ignore them.
In the beginning, this means constant interruptions. In the early days, it can seem as though the whole day is just spent disciplining. And that causes you to feel drained emotionally (what’s wrong with my child? Why can’t he get the message?) and physically (walking/getting up and down to deal with the law breaker many times).
And at the end of the day, you feel like you have accomplished zilch. All you have to show for all that work you have done is a sulky child and an even sulkier mom 🙂
But I am telling you that it does bring rewards. However, disciplining is a long term project. It is not something that brings results after a few days. And it requires you to constantly be on your guard. Don’t give up. For if you do, you’ll have to start all over again! And remember, every once in a while the child will test and re-test his boundaries. So you have to be alert. That’s another reason why discipline is hard work.
Consistent discipline brings manifold blessings – to you the parent, to the child and to those around you.
You will reap many benefits if you consistently discipline your children. And the younger you start, the easier it is. It is much easier to train than to re-train.
To give you a personal example. I am able to take short naps during the day when I have to. And I do not wake up to a house that is thrashed or covered with blood 🙂 Why? The children have been disciplined over the years to know how to play quietly and harmoniously even when mama is not watching.
It was not an overnight development. There were many days/months (?!) of being interrupted by loud screams or arguments in the midst of a nap. Resulting in a major headache for me, of course 🙁
But by the grace of God, consistent discipline has brought us to this point.
So I say again, discipline is terribly hard work. But don’t give up. Press on. Disciplining our children is not being mean to them. It is helping them develop character (the good kind!) and self-control. It may seem like we are party poopers but the Bible says their soul is at stake!
Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod
and save his soul from death.
(Proverbs 23:13-14)