The fourth habit in Covey’s book is: think win/win, or look to fix the problem, not the person so that you find a solution that works for everyone
If you live in a household with other human beings, there will be conflicts. Parenting is full of conflicts with our children, so it’s important to learn how to effectively resolve them.
Resolving conflict with our children often involves discipline – this is a topic that could fill two or three sessions of a parenting series!
A few scriptures to consider:
Eph 6:4 ESV4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
also..
Prov 19:18Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;do not be a willing party to their death.
While it’s important to discipline our children, we need to never do so out of anger. The focus should be on teaching them about obedience to God and His commands. Mary and I disciplined our children with a focus on disobedience and not telling the truth. We related all discipline back to these areas to make sure our kids knew how important it is to obey God and to be truthful about what we’ve done. We also would end a time of discipline spending a few minutes talking about how much God loves us – He disciplines us for our good, as a Father who loves his sons and daughters. He wants us to love and obey him, so he needs to point us toward the right path when we’ve strayed.
Ask: why is discipline important for raising our children?
Practical: discuss discipline with your spouse. What is the most effective form of discipline, considering each child’s age and maturity? Who are you seeking out for guidance on these issues? (hint: you should find an experienced couple who’ve raised awesome spiritual kids).