Foundation Father
Children learn to speak to themselves based on how their parents speak to them. They are mimickers. Actually, we are all mimickers in some fashion, but children even more so. They will repeat what they hear. They will believe what you say. And what is “thinking,”, if not talking to yourself or having an argument […]
If you are getting angry at your children, it’s your fault. Every time. All of the time. If they are doing something you find annoying, or that causes you to lose your patience, who do you have to blame? Who has let them get away with it over and over in the past? You. This […]
A dispute arose between two prostitutes over a child. Each claimed the child was hers and it was one woman’s word against the other. The case traveled all the way up to Solomon, the wise king. In his wisdom, Solomon said “Bring me a sword. We will divide the child and give each one half.” […]
This is from the excellent book by Anthony Esolen. 1. Keep your children indoors as much as possible. A child weighed down by busywork (homework), endlessly distracted by flashing screens, will find the outdoors boring. And so they will find life boring. As a consequence, they will *be* boring. If they spend too much time outside, they […]
My kids were playing hide and seek at the park with another boy. A few rounds had gone by, and it was my youngest son’s turn to be “it.” He counted and found the other boy fast. But he had some trouble finding his older sister. After a few minutes, the boy tempted him. “I […]
As your children grow and you begin to give them jobs, you will quickly find yourself in several predicaments. They won’t want to do the job. This is handled by discipline and standing your ground. They get punished if they don’t do it or if they constantly whine about doing it. Period. But the other […]
When dealing with disputes between your children, you must listen to both sides. And never, never reward the first one to come yelling to you for help without having a firm understanding of the situation. The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. Proverbs 18:17 You will […]
Envy is a powerful emotion. And it is a form of relational acid. If not kept in check, it will destroy relationships. A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. Proverbs 14:30 It can also twist a person’s affections beyond recognition, making them chase things they don’t even care […]
We get a lot of things backward. Due to our laziness and apathy, fathers can find themselves in a difficult position once their children become teenagers. All of a sudden, the lack of discipline is no longer cute. The tantrums thrown when the child was six look downright ugly when the child is thirteen. The […]
You will be forced to say “no” to your children for various reasons. Or, take away something in discipline. This is a normal part of being a father. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give them something else. Something else that’s even better than the original thing you took away. Did you take away their […]