This is very, very, very good. Regular readers of this space will know that I disagree with the author profoundly on several points. But I have to recommend this article to you. He is exactly right.
When our children were little, people often would say to us, “just wait till they are teenagers.” The teenage years were such a blessing, so much fun with our kids… in some ways the best years of our life so far. I could wish them back except that now I have a granddaughter!
The point of the article is that teaching children obedience is a biblical requirement with rich rewards for the parents who insist on obedience … and for their children too! Teaching obedience requires courage, energy, initiative and drive. It is the best spiritual investment you can make in the lives of your children.
I know, I know, the cycle of life isn’t over yet. Children have wills of their own. They can still disappoint. They may make choices that overthrow all the training you have invested in them.
Don’t let such possibilities be excuses for your lazy, selfish attempts at making parenting easy.
I agree with you completely on this. I enjoyed the teenage years with my daughters as well. Of course, they weren’t perfect, and there were times of heartache, but the years of discipline did pay off. What is extremely gratifying for me to hear as a parent, is both of my kids, after having babysat for children who have not experienced consistent discipline, is that they have no intention of being permissive when they have their own kids, because they don’t want them to turn out in the same way as kids whose parents are permissive with them. I pray that they carry through on that.