From the Gospel Coalition:
How We View Our Children Determines How We Disciple Them – The Gospel Coalition Blog.
Whether or not your children ever profess Christ, whether or not they ever get better grades than Theo, our kids always need the same message: the hope of the gospel. That is their greatest need.
Amen.
From FoxNews:
According to the research, children spanked up to the age of 6 were likely as teenagers to perform better at school and were more likely to carry out volunteer work and to want to go to college than their peers who had never been physically disciplined.
Read the whole thing. It sounds very Proverbs 13:24ish. While it’s only one study, what I found most intriguing is the cut-off of spanking’s benefit. Apparently after six, spanking does more harm then good.
So, when children are unable to reason and discuss their wrongdoing, swatting them seems to reinforce important life lessons. But as they grow in their ability to understand, parents need to move away from corporal punishment. In other words, discipline must be adapted to the maturity of the child. I’d add it needs to be adapted to the child. Not all children are identical, what works for one bears no fruit in another.
Study: Spanked Children May Grow Up to Be Happier, More Successful – Childrens Health – FOXNews.com.
Deuteronomy 6:5 contains what Jesus called the greatest commandment—‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength,’ (NIV). This verse is not just the greatest commandment; it is the beginning of a framework. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 we find a blueprint for parents to disciple their own children. We see God’s plan for reproducing faith, values and lifestyle in the next generation. Continue reading
Brandon Markette 