"The Pouting Pro"

"Oh, I'm cranky and my mommy said no!"
At 18 months my little guy Drew is trying out the lip
and tears to see what he can manipulate mommy to let him do. Drew is my forth child and it is funny to look back on how I reacted to my first three. My level of patience has changed greatly! When my first child reacted like this is used to cry at night thinking, "what am I going to do?" I read as many child training books I could find.
Everything from Dobson to Tripp.

Now as I watch my little guy I try not to laugh inside.
The struggle I have everyday is to muster up the energy to
be as diligent with discipline as I was with the others.
The main thing that keeps me on my toes is the end goal.
What is the end goal? To raise strong, confident leaders to
go out into this world and make a difference or
the kingdom of God, where ever they work.
In order to raise a strong tempered little boy into a strong
Man of God who stands for what He believes and can
be the spiritual leader of his family; I have to teach
him about the law of sowing and reaping along with
teaching him self control.

We are all inclined to the sinful nature from the moment we are born. "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child." Proverbs 22:15 When a baby screams crying because they are hungry and you say baby I know I am getting it. They don't wait patiently... they want it immediately... when they want it. But if you teach them about trust and develop a routine or schedule with them, they learn to depend on you quickly. Little ones have a very fast learning curve. In knowing that why not apply that philosophy to teaching toddlers self control.

To be mother is a high calling. I can only pray and stay in close communion with my Lord to keep the race at training my children. It is so draining at times, sometimes it is discouraging, but most of the time what it is really doing is making me stronger. Testing my faith in God's promises.

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he old he will not turn from it." Prov. 22:6