A Biblical Recipe for Effective Child Training

There’s a saying that runs this way: “What you've learned from childhood will be brought up until you grow old.” This is very true. If parents don’t punish their children when they were young, they will grow stubborn and run their own lives in a wrong way. Children learn from their parents’ behavior. So, while they’re still young, they should learn the proper way to behave; be God-fearing; and respect their parents’ decisions.

While perusing my old documents and pertinent papers, I came across with this printed recipe for effective child training. This is not an ordinary recipe because the source is our Holy Bible, a compilation of Christian books written by chosen apostles based from the Word of God. I didn’t know the original writer but this is written for the purpose of training your child effectively through the inspiring words from the Bible.

Ingredients:

1 gallon FAITH in GOD

7 cupfuls LOVE for your CHILD

1 cup PATIENCE

1 cup clarified INSTRUCTION

1 cup consistent DISCIPLINE (whipped lightly)

3 teaspoons of pure MERCY

1 generous dash of HUMOR

2 cupfuls PRAISE

2 cupfuls LIBERTY

Procedure:

Pour FAITH in GOD into any size of family.

Mix one teaspoon of clarified INSTRUCTION and one teaspoon of consistent DISCIPLINE.

Add only a half cup of LIBERTY initially.

Sprinkle in pure MERCY and simmer over the steady flame of PRAYER.

Proceed to fold in additional teaspoons of INSTRUCTION and DISCIPLINE, in equal amounts, adding LIBERTY slowly.

Stir well and whip as needed to smooth out any lumps of DISOBEDIENCE. Never overbeat!

Sweeten to taste with HUMOR and PRAISE.

Melt any specks of MISUNDERTANDING or sour ATTITUDE by turning up the level of PRAYER and adding extra INSTRUCTION.

Continue this process until all remaining ingredients have been added and all BITTERNESS had been removed.

When adding the last cup of LIBERTY, be careful not to cause any sudden SEPARATION or foaming.

If either of these occur, or if the MORAL CHARACTER begins to lose its intended shape, skim off the excess LIBERTY until the desired consistency results.

Try adding this LIBERTY again later when CHARACTER is firmer.

Keep warm over a steady flame of PRAYER.

SERVE with a tender HEART and the sincere MILK of GOD’s WORD. Never serve with a cold shoulder or a hot tongue.

LIFE's VIRTUES and MORAL VALUES

All the ingredients mentioned above are intangible things that interpret child-rearing or training a child effectively. If you are a keen observer, you will notice that children, nowadays, are becoming arrogant with adults, even with their parents.

In the US alone, there are cases that children become disrespectful due to the influence of their mob neighborhood. Here in the Philippines, poverty is the main cause as to why the children acted in a bad way and oftentimes, become involved in gang wars or heinous crimes at a young age. Proper guidance from parents is lacking; seriously.

I hope with this recipe on effective child training, parents (hubbers, too) can reflect on how they rear their children. Is it on the right path or not? Is it effective?

Even as a single guy, this hubber (Travel Man) can relate to the odds and evens of having children. Parents become frustrated if they cannot control their children's outrageous behavior. My sister is always whining about his 12-year old son, being hard-headed. I think other parents are experiencing it, too.

With the BIBLE as the center of teachings in the family, regulating children's behavior will be easy. Parents will never make a mistake when they ask the guidance of GOD through the holy book.