Starting With Me
 

Do you ever use something outside the box to teach your kids lessons?

My son has been making decisions lately with no thought about consequences.

This morning a relatively minor, He was unloading the dishwasher and grabbed more glasses than he could reasonably handle. He looked at me and I shook my head and told him it wasn't a good idea. Sure enough he dropped and broke a glass. Yesterday he thought it would be funny to disrupt his class at school, again no thought about consequences. This isn't the first time and his teachers are ready to kill him (figuratively).

Last night and this morning we read Proverbs 1 and this morning my wife pulled up Jake Owens song, Starting With Me. It is a perfect example of the fool from Proverbs chapter 1 after making all the dumb choices in life and looking back and wishing he had done things different.

Hopefully he gets the idea that he doesn't want to end up looking back at his life with regrets.

Re: Starting With Me
 

Isn't this pretty normal for kids to go through? They have to learn the consequences for making bad choices sometimes before it sinks in.

Leading and teaching them is important, but sometimes it just doesn't "click" until it's applied by some dumb choice they make.

I know my kids heard "think, think, think" - - all the time, but until they didn't think and had to deal with the consequences did they understand what that meant.

I wouldn't call them regrets at this point -- just silly growing up pains!

Re: Starting With Me
 

Regrets is what we are trying to avoid. If I could put a muzzle on that boy it would avoid a lot of trouble. He hasn't learned there are appropriate times and ways to disagree with teachers. And sometimes the teachers are wrong.

I am ready to toss that kid in the ocean with a stone tied to him, isn't that what Jesus said to do?

Re: Starting With Me
 

Take a deep breathe!

I know it's tough, but if I was given a choice of a son with this problem and a kid that sat in the class and said nothing and was a follower - - I'd take your son in a heartbeat.

Guide and discipline him, but don't think it's the end of the earth. I promise, this kid's got a bright future!!

p.s. look in the mirror - - how close is he acting to how you were?

Re: Starting With Me
 

It's true I do want him to question and challenge, even when done correctly it is often not received well. The problems get exasperated when he does it with an attitude.

Hopefully he becomes a productive member of society.

Re: Starting With Me
 

He will.

I believe the scripture and the song will be something he'll look back on and remember.

You might not see the results immediately, but you are teaching.... it will slowly seep in.

Re: Starting With Me
 

Renda- great words of wisdom from someone who has been there, done that!

Re: Starting With Me
 

He will probably be a lawyer....ha....

He sounds normal to me...I raised a bunch of boys...

Re: Starting With Me
 

Oh my Lord, Baron!!! I feel your pain! I wanted to rename my daughter "Linus" for that cloud that followed him! LOL! I have never seen someone that could do so many things wrong, attract the most unsavory people, and always at the most inopportune times! LOL!

What I learned to do was to look past that and find her strengths. I had to force myself to do it because the things she messed up were so bad, it was hard to see the forest through the trees! LOL!

She is an awesome person and very accomplished. If not for that, I would have stayed in bed with the covers pulled over my head! She had to find out EVERYTHING for herself. EVERYTHING!!!

Now I look at her and I know that if something is going to get done and get done right, she is the person to call. Just get out of the way in the mean time. LOL!

Look for his strengths and you will find that grand child that you know you raised and are raising. If you don't do that, it will harm a part of him and your relationship as he is developing. You don't want to look back on that part when he's finally in his twenties and you have much more in common than you ever dreamed. Ask me, because I know.

I wish I could have seen the end from the beginning. I would have reacted so much differently! It was so much pressure, I almost could not bear up through it!

Today, it's all good. She's the ugly duckling turned into a swan. God is good!

Praying for you!

Re: Starting With Me
 

Raising children is so much more complicated than I ever dreamed it would be!