Where Wisdom Is Called For

“Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use” is a quote I apply when dealing with students, children and some persons. The tendency may be to punish all disobedience and/or disrespect, but wisdom will lead you to investigate why there is misconduct and provide a remedy for it. I like these other sayings:

“A good father, finding his son on the wrong track, will provide switching facilities.”
“When you take a knife away from a child, give him a piece of wood instead.” ~Kenyan Proverb

Recently, the boys have been playing inside our portable wardrobe, even after receiving instructions not to do so. I’ve even let one of them scrub off his dirty footprints so that they all recognize the importance of keeping it clean.

The result . . . they play inside it with cleaner feet. Boys will be boys!

In the past, matters like this may have been grounds for strong reprimand and some persons may resort to spanking. But “spankings do not grow children”; and as one Chinese Proverb states: “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.”

The issue is this: they will always be playing hide-and-seek with each other, and wardrobes and closets rank high on the list of great hiding spots. And personally, I do remember hiding in my parents’ closet as a child.

The simple solution therefore was to put a lock on the wardrobe and to explain to them the purpose of locking it. They fully understood this.The journey of parenting is a short one, and since children are gifts from God, we should cherish them and lead them in the right way.

As parents, we should spend time wisely instructing and correcting each child according to his/her personality. We should nurture their gifts and uniqueness and bring them up in the admonition of the Lord.

I love this quote: “If I had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later. I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I’d take more hikes and fly more kites. I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I’d do more hugging and less tugging.” -Diane Loomans