Christian discipline is…
- Thanking God for your child.
- Teaching your child to pray.
- Teaching Jesus songs.
- Telling your child about Jesus’ love.
- Teaching your child how to be thankful for Jesus’ love.
- Telling your child you love him or her.
- Expecting your child to show God-pleasing behavior.
- Teaching your child to obey and honor those in authority.
- Setting and enforcing limits.
- Being a good role model for your child.
- “Catching your child being good” and letting your child know you are pleased.
- Teaching your child to be kind to others.
- Giving your time to your child.
- Expecting your child to do chores.
- Talking with your child in a loving way.
- Setting and following through on consequences for wrong behavior.
- Being consistent and firm, but not inflexible, with rules.
- Helping your child memorize important Scripture passages.
- Asking God to protect and bless your child.
- Talking about Jesus in daily conversation.
- Telling your child what you expect of him or her.
- Continuing to pray for your child, even when he or she no longer lives at home.
The key to Christian discipline is found in the words of Proverbs 22:6, which says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
From Patient Parenting, by John Juern. © 2006 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Image credit: Stock Snap (used under Creative Commons CC0)