Has one of your children ever thrown a world-class fit in a store?
My son Trent did that once when he was little. I was out of town, and Jean was alone with him in the checkout aisle. Trent wanted a candy bar and had a meltdown when his mom told him no.
Jean was a new mom and was embarrassed that she couldn’t get Trent under control. Fortunately, a man dressed in a military uniform intervened and told Trent, “Son, you need to listen to your mother.”
I don’t know who that man was, but I say, “Thank you.”
Situations like that frequently happen to moms and dads, but it’s not always clear how to respond.
How should parents deal with whining children, for example?
How about lying?
What about tattling?
Complaining?
Or interrupting?
The solution starts with the end goal in mind. Raising children isn’t only about behavior modification. It’s about connecting with their heart because their heart is ultimately the source of their behavior.
Sin doesn’t begin with our words or our actions, it begins with our motivations. In Matthew 12:34, Jesus says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We do and say whatever is in our hearts.
Author Ginger Hubbard says, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” She also says many parents adopt faulty child training methods that only address outward behavior and not inner motivation.
There is far more to parenting than correcting our child’s outer behavior.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Taming Your Child’s Tongue” we’re talking with Ginger Hubbard about how parents can connect with the heart of a child when he or she whines or lies.
Join us on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.
We’re discussing her book I Can’t Believe You Just Said That: Biblical Wisdom for Taming Your Child’s Tongue which will empower you to help your child at a heart level with a long list of behaviors including whining, lying, tattling, defying, manipulating, interrupting, complaining, blame shifting, teasing, aggravating, bragging, arguing, yelling, gossiping, bickering.
You’ll also learn how to ask heart-probing questions like Jesus did. We’d like to send you a copy for a gift of any amount. Give us a call at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459) or click here for more information. Thank you for your support.
