JMO Parenting

JMO May 2017 God gives us children as a gift. They're our precious child to raise and to nurture. It is our job to prepare them for the world and to prepare them to someday become parents themselves.   God gives us the role in parenting to have authority over our children. God says children are to obey their parent in the Lord for this is right. He tells us we are to raise our children up in the Lord. He tells us to respect authority. So when did parents stop raising their kids? Now, I know we are not amazing parents, our kids fall into many of these categories, but we are always trying to guide our kids, shepherd them and come along side in helping them make good choices. So many times I hear parents talking, some are friends, some I don't know and I overhear conversations. I hear parents complaining about their kids spending too much time in front of the television, kids being lazy, kids spending all their time on electronics, kids becoming violent because they watch the wrong shows or play the wrong video games. A very common complaint is, my kids are involved in so many sports and activities that we never see each other, eat together and we are home so late. Parents, you have the right to tell your kids no. We like to call it vitamin N, also known as the word NO. There are a lot of kids that could benefit from a whole lot more of Vitamin N, including my own kids. You, the parent get to limit what they do.  The parents who complain about their kid spending so much time with their girlfriend/boyfriend. Are they married? maybe they need a little more guidance in this area from the parents. Anymore kids are living together going on family vacations and practically moving in with the whole family. hello, parents where are you? Or the parent who says, my kids wont eat anything but junk food. I bet if mom quit buying them junk food, they wouldn’t have that option . How about, my kids only wear the designer name brand clothes and they are so expensive. If the kids had to buy their own clothes, I bet they wouldn't have the most expensive brands all the time. I have heard, I have had to buy my kid their third phone, they keep breaking or losing it. What if the kid had to be responsible for their own phone and pay for it with their own money when it breaks or gets lost? I hear ,my kids are always on their phone/laptop/computer. I often wonder why the little kids are the ones dictating how much television and electronics they should have. It starts so young. I see toddlers as young as 15 months with mom's phone in their hands watching movies and playing games. I have seen 18 month olds take the phone, scroll to Netflix, put on a movie and start watching their shows all by themselves. I see more kids in restaurants on the phones than eating. Kids need limits, kids need boundaries, without them they are lost. A child controlled home is setting them up for disaster. I also see it when a child acts out or is disrespectful to another adult when their parents are right there watching it happen. I am appalled to see the parents look on as if it is not their responsibility. They act is though their child’s behavior is just the way they are. When did the parents stop parenting? Kids need discipline in order to understand wrong or bad behavior is not ok. 
My kids are no different than any of these kids, however as a parent I am always trying to guide and shepherd them in the right direction. The first thing all kids need to learn at a very young age is to respect authority. Without that, there is going to be problems throughout his/her life.
*Titus 3:1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. *Ephesians 6:1 Children Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. *Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not turn from it. *Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
We are seeing the result of lack of discipline in the kids that become adults and have never had boundaries, don't know how to work, don't like to be told no, don't have any respect for authority, and are all about entitlement.