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Mother Deaf
I was watching 20/20 the other day and they had an interesting segment on the parent-child relationship. They were talking about how children sometimes "tune out" and ignore the "rant and raving" of a parent. They were showing some examples of a couple of families who were taped, and how these kids were doing this very thing. One was a family with 3 girls, and one was a family with 3 boys. They had a professional counselor view the tapes and she made an interesting comment about the situation, she said that the kids were "Mother Deaf".
A few verses from the book of Proverbs that we might consider. Proverbs 13:24 "He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly". Proverbs 22:15, "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him". Proverbs 23:13-14, "Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell". Pr.29:15, "The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother". Now notice also from Eph.6:4, "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (All these are from the NKJV). Don't give a bunch of empty words that you don't really mean. Kids soon realize that what you mean and what you don't. Don't say "no", when it is not necessary. Seek to affirm and encourage the good things, but don't rant and rave over things that amount to less than a "hill of beans". When push comes to shove, administer discipline swiftly, fairly, and firmly. Your words need to be respected, and your authority established. Children like to know their boundaries and their limitations. Don't make your children "mother deaf" by empty ranting and raving.
