My daughter-in-law called me a couple days ago and shared some discussions she had with my 10-year-old granddaughter. My granddaughter is extremely bright and questions (or should I say challenges) everything. Before I tell you what drove her mom to call me, let me give you an idea of how bright my granddaughter is.In March, 2009, when she was eight years old, she and my great niece who was ten at the time used my computer to create approximately 50 slides. They named their presentation “Visiting Ohio.” They recorded their voices (they showed me how to do this), added clipart, located my daughter’s wedding pictures on my PC and uploaded some of the pictures. I was amazed at how computer proficient they were. Below are verbatim excerpts from their handiwork, titles,typos and all (remember, they are 8 and 10 years old). I only wish I was able to include their recordings as well (they could probably show me how to do this)!
Hairstyle: WHEN YOU GET YOUR HAIR DONE IT TAKES FOREVER. YES YOU WANNA LOOK GOOD FOR YOUR MAN.BUT YOU SPENDING YOUR MAN’S CASH! SO THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THIS BYE! AND STOP SPENDING YOUR MAN’S MONEY!
Hairstyle #2: OKAY YOU REMEMBER LAST TIME! HAHAHAHAHA!OKAY STOP SPENDING YOUR MAN’S CASH IT HURTS IT HAS PAIN!THE MONEY IS LIKE HELP ME STOP SPENDING ME! SO LADIES STOP SPENDING YOUR MAN’S CASH
the school: SCHOOL IS ABOUT LEARNING AND ABOUT EUDACATION. COLLEGE IS VERY INTERACTING. MY DADDY WENT TO COLLEGE I AM ALSO GOING TO COLLEGE ITS ME TIYE THE ONE WHO IS GOING TO COLLEGE! WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DAMIEN USE TO SAY I WAS TO SMALL. BUT I PROVED MY AGE! SO YEAH I STOULD THAT BOY UP! IT FELT SO GOOD! AFTHER THEN I WAS FEELING A LITTLE BETTER!
MIMI LIFE: MY LIFE IS SO AMAZING YEAH I MIGHT NOT BE RICH BUT I AM SO AWSOME! MY FRIENDS THINK I AM SO FUNNY! MY FAVORITE COLOR IS GREEN AND BLUE! BUT I HAVE A GREAT FAMILY AND FRIENDS BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY REASON ABOUT MY LIFE I HAVE A WII BYE
TIYES LIFE: MY LIFE IS EXACTLEY LIKE I WANT IT TO BE! MY FAVORITE COLOR IS PINK, BLUE AND YELLOW!TWO BROTHERS AND ZEROS SISTER! BUT I WANT MY FAVORITE TWO COUSINS TO BE MY SISTERS!RAHJA DOSENT NEED TO KNOW THAT!MY FAVORITE FOOD IS PIZZA AND SALAD.
While I hope you enjoyed reading this, I'm guessing you're wondering what does this have to do with sparing the rod? As smart as my granddaughter is, she hasn’t at age 10 learned that while she can say just about anything she wants to her cousin, she cannot say whatever she wants to her mother. Since she's 'slow' to learn this, my daughter-in-law occasionally has to use the ‘rod’ which prompted my granddaughter to ask her mother, “where does it say in the bible that parents should spank their kids?”
For my daughter-in-law and other parents of young children, here’s what the Word says about disciplining your children.
- He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him (Prov. 13:24)
- Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him (Prov. 22:15)
- Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die (Prov. 23:13)
This past week Anderson Cooper (CNN) was covering Science on Spanking - How Hitting Children May Harm Them Later in Life with emphasis on the book “To Train Up A Child.” From what I’ve heard about this book, I don’t recommend it. I do recommend these articles (see links below): A Parent's Rules for Spanking: The Correct Way to Spank Your Child by Jamie K Wilson and The Bible and Spanking Children: How–and How Not–to Spank Children, Bible-Based Guidelines for Christian Parents and Others by Doug Britton
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/230229/a_parents_rules_for_spanking_the_correct.html?cat=25
Let me add this caveat. I believe my dad spanked me and my siblings far too often. He believed in spanking all of us until someone ‘fessed up.’ I unequivocally do not support spanking teenagers (I got my last spanking around age 15 - there was absolutely no point to it). After I had my first child, my dad told me he learned from me that you don’t have to spank all the time. While my son may feel as if he got spanked too much, he wasn’t spanked nearly as often. His sister, who’s ten years younger, was spanked probably five times or less. They are both intelligent, well-adjusted adults who are college graduates, married with children, and living on their own. I’m extremely proud of and have a great relationship with both of them. The bottom line, it's your decision whether to spank or not, but I suggest you follow the Word of God. If you decide to spank, do it sparingly because there are a couple scriptures that applies to parents:
- And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4)
- Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged (Col. 3:21)
