mother was fussy and irritable. We, ourselves, as parents, must make sure that we get enough rest and that we eat properly. Sometimes the particular behavior patterns manifest in our chil dren are because we are not properly caring for ourselves. We need rest, love and discipline in our own lives. Coupled with, this we need worship, GOD'S UNSPEAKABLE GIFT I asked for riches to be offered Him, that I might useful be, He gave me poverty and gently said, "Find all you need in me; I gave my best to you in everything, So ever thankful be, rejoice and sing." I asked for health to do great work for Him, to tell for Him at length, He made me weak and gave infirmity and said, " I'll be your strength; I know how best to keep you in the way, Be thankful as I lead you day by day." I asked for power and success, that all might feel my zeal for Him, He put me in a corner small, unknown, unrecognized and dim, And said, "I set your boundaries and way, Be thankful as I teach you to obey." I asked for friends to royally support me in His work divine, He took away each prop I leaned upon and said, "Oh child of Mine, Lean hard on Me, I'll never let you ’ fall, Be thankful just in Me as all in all." So one by ond the things I asked of Him were all refused in grace. In place of each He put His lovely self and said, "See now my face." All thanks be unto God that from above He sent this gift of unspeakable love. — Margaret Payson Stafford recreation, and social life in fellow ship with companionable friends. Don’t always be shouting and pick ing at your children. Teach them that all glory is unto the Lord and that you are under Christ’s authority, even as they are under you.
Chapter Thirteen P robably the most important aspect of discipline is that we ought to be consistent. That means we ought to say what we mean and mean what we say. We ought to teach them that whining gets them nothing. We ought to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit day after day to make us sweet, filling us with the fruits of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, goodness, self-control, and fidelity. We ought not to over-correct our children but to show them that all au thority is unto the Lord. I have heard some parents say, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with the child. I don’t know whatever’s going to become of him.” In this way you have killed all hope. The child ought to have your confidence if he is going to achieve anything. The Lord called Simon Peter a rock. Now,, he was anything but a rock, however, the Lord gave him con fidence in himself. A little child lives- in hope and we must be very careful not to destroy this trust in us as well as in himself. In one school the teacher, the princi pal, even the school psychologist were perplexed over the problem of a young boy. The doctor finally discovered that the trouble was in the mother’s correc tive habits. The little child had not stopped wetting the bed and his mother was shaming him day after day with such foolish chants as, “You’re a baby, you’re a baby! I’m going to put dia pers on you!” By fighting all the other children at school he showed that he was no “baby.” The psychologist could give some good help in this case. What can be done positively to help the child? First, guard that it doesn’t have an abundance of fluids in late afternoon and evening. Go to your family phy sician for other practical advice. Sham ing, however, only creates greater prob lems far worse than bed wetting.
This is true with sucking the thumb. In persistent cases it can affect the contour of the teeth. I have been teach 19
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