Children

I am not really sure how we got on the subject, but my teen daughter and I were discussing punishment and discipline. She had brought it up in our conversation. She mentioned that at a recent concert, she and some friends were discussing how they were disciplined and what kind they will dish out themselves to their own children. After recounting the humorous anecdotes of her friends' experiences, she goes on to list how they each decided to discipline their own.

She finishes with her plan..."I am just going to ground them."

OK, so when you stop laughing, realize this; in our home 'grounding' is staying in your room, not just not going out. Severe grounding means sitting on the edge of your bed with your hands folded; amount of time to be determined. It is still funny that she thinks this is all that will be necessary.

So I ask, "You're not going to spank your children?"

She replies, "Only if they deserve it, but I am going to start with grounding."

I say,"Two and three year-olds do not understand grounding, dear."

"Oh, well, I'll spank them."

Later in the day, as I recounted all of this to Mama, I thought of something else. I called daughter into the room.

"C", I said, "What will you do if your child does something wrong while grounded?"

"Well, they can't," she said, "They're grounded!"

"What happens when they are grounded and they write on the wall in their room while they're in there?"

ARE YOU SITTING DOWN DEAR READER?

She replies, "Oh, my kids won't be like that."

Mama and I laughed ourselves to sleep I think.

So, I have some scriptures for you here:

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Proverbs 23:13

Yes, the Bible says it.

And since we had such a good laugh today....

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Proverbs 17:22