Being a loving and a fair parent is the goal of anyone who has a child or children but a Christian parent wants to do more; they want to share the love of their savior Jesus with their kids. Doing that is natural and often successful but being a Christian parent in many ways is the same as being any type of caring parent.
You need to establish rules and apply them fairly and consistently. It is most important that no one child is given preferential treatment and that the house rules are clearly explained and understood.
Christian parents can be like other parents in that they can fall into the same old trap of thinking that raising your voice gives them authority. It usually has the opposite effect. While Jesus was keen to invite children to hear his message, the bible also advises youngsters to obey their parents and to honor their mother and their father.
So we have a balancing act here within a Christian family. If a reprimand is required, as mentioned, raising one's voice does not give power. What the child requires is the appropriate response. If the punishment means the child is grounded or loses a privilege, then so be it. But the Christian parent must enforce the reprimand and follow through. To not do so means the child sees any threat from the parent as an empty threat.
It should be fairly easy for a Christian parent to establish guidelines and rules for the behavior of their children. The bible has some simple and clear rules such as the ten commandments. Using the bible as a basis for your house rules is a real benefit for Christian parents. Respect for your parents is an essential part of a Christian home.
Christian parents may have some excellent rules but they will do even better if they can teach their children about self-discipline. Knowing right from wrong is important for every child and being able to control their behavior is the best result possible. A young child who is brought up to exercise self-control will have that excellent quality for life.
Another essential concept which a child must understand is that of reward and punishment. Once the rules for the child's behavior have been agreed upon by both parents and clearly explained to the child, responses from the parents must be accurate. When the child abides by the rules they are rewarded. When they break the rules they are punished. Children learn quickly and respond well to doing well. It should not long for them to understand there are consequences if they fail to follow the rules set by their folks.
One of the possible traps for Christian parents is allowing God to control and educate their children. The responsibility lies with the parents. Using God as the head of their household, the Christian parents must work hard and sensibly to lovingly raise their children. As the old saying goes, "God helps those who help themselves".
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