"Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial.
"Everything is permissible for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything."- 1 Corinthians 6:12
These are some pretty powerful words. How does this apply to our kids? As a parent we have the daunting task of preparing our children for adulthood. I think sometimes that task and the magnitude of it causes me to be a little over-strict. I get so focused on that that I miss today. Does that make sense?
I'm going to try to incorporate this scripture into how I deal with my kids. Now, not everything is permissible for them in my household, but, if I can begin to incorporate this and talk with my older kids about it, then we can talk about the natural consequences of their actions. That will help them when they aren't under my roof! :)
By the way, this thought came to me from reading Thriving Family, a magazine published by Focus on the Family , and one of the few magazines that I read cover to cover. If you aren't subscribed, I'd recommend it for sure!!!
What are your thoughts on discipline, especially in the teen years? I'd really like to know, because some days I feel like I'm flying blind!!!! :)
I love this scripture, hadn't heard it in a long time. I think it really applies to my new desire this year to be more disciplined and to say no more.
ReplyDeleteYes! It's a good mantra for us adults too!!! I think I'm going to make it my theme....
ReplyDeleteI feel weird commenting on this as a teen myself, but I really like this idea. My parents have employed something like it over the years, and I feel like it's taught me a lot about making my own decisions.
ReplyDeleteFrom a fairly early age, my parents wouldn't just tell me I couldn't do something. They would explain (in an age-appropriate manner) why I couldn't run out into the street or get separated from Mommy at the store. They very rarely used the excuse 'because I said so' when I wanted to know why. Thus, when I became a teenager, they stopped telling me less that I couldn't do things, but when I would ask if I could, they would explain to me some of the natural consequences that I might not have been mature enough to see by myself, thus prompting me not to make the wrong decision.
I feel that, by using this method, I am better equipped to make decisions on my own when I go off to college in August, because I'm used to analyzing the consequences... and if I still need Mom and Dad to talk some sense into me (which I'm sure I will), I know they're always just a phone call away. :)