Disciplining Your Preschooler in Public

   Jan 24, 2009

Five year old Emma stood in the middle of the candy aisle, arms crossed across her chest, defiance etched in her sweet baby face. “I want candy!” she screamed for the third time, so loud that her mom was sure everyone in the supermarket could hear her.  Her mom had ignored Emma these three times but knew she had to deal with it. Everybody was staring.  “Well, alright; but just this one time.  Next time remember, no candy.”

I cringe whenever I witness this scenario or scenes like it.  I want to run up to the parent and say, “Don’t you know you’re letting your five year old manipulate you?  She’s smarter than you.  She knows how to handle you to get her way but you don’t know how to handle her.”

You don’t have to allow yourself to be controlled by your children.  You don’t have to give your children everything they demand or want. Emma thought that if she embarrassed her mom in public she would get her way.

We as parents are responsible for teaching our children appropriate behavior and self control.  There are three simple rules to follow to discipline your preschooler no matter where you are.  The first one is don’t give a command unless you are prepared to enforce it.  The second one is give the command only once and be sure it’s heard. The third one is be consistent and follow through with the command.

Even when you’re in the store or another public place make sure you’re in a position to follow through before you issue a command. Emma’s mother should have said, “No candy today.  If you scream again we will stop shopping and I will take you out to the car.  When we get home you will have a time out.”

God has rules too. Sometimes we try to manipulate Him.  We go through all the actions but our heart is not in it.  We do it for show to impress people.  We figure if we practice all the spiritual disciplines He will bless us with the things we love. 

Matthew 6

“Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, for then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. Verse 1
“And now about prayer.  When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who pretend piety by praying publicly….. where everyone can see them. Verse 5
“If your eye is pure, there will be sunshine in your soul.” Verse 21

God does not lower His standard to accommodate our selfishness and inappropriate behavior.  He gives us the power and enables us to meet his righteous standard.

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 7: Today read:
Genesis 16:1-18:15
Matthew 6:1-24
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 2:1-5

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