Discipline
Apr 28–29, 2008 - comment
Today we are going to be talking about what may be one of the most controversial aspects of parenting: disciplining your children in a effective manner. Our special guest is Dr. Todd Cartmell, a clinical psychologist with a practice in Wheaton, Illinois, and a popular author of three books on the subject of parenting.
In today’s world discipline can be a tough subject. Parents often get discouraged, because they don’t feel their methods are getting through to their children. They don’t want to spank them, but is it really effective to send children to their rooms where they can watch TV or play video games?
Todd says, “Most parents discipline by default. Their discipline is reactive rather than proactive, responding to their child’s misbehavior rather than using family times to teach their children the positive life skills they will need to have within the family, at school, and out in the world. The Bible states in Proverbs 22:6 that we are to train up our child. That means to teach and instruct our children. We are to guide our children toward respectful behavior; teaching them that every individual was created by God and therefore deserves respect. We re also admonished to teach our children to respect God and His authority, the first steps are to require that same respect for ourselves and others who are in authority.”