Training part 2

I was talking to my Aunt Judy this week and I called my husband an old fart (just joking) and she got upset with me.  She told me that it sounds terrible (I was still not convinced because I was teasing my husband and we tease a lot), then she said how would you feel if your Grandma said that about your Grandpa; that did strike a cord with me.  She also told me that I have to be aware that I am teaching my children and others about marriage. 

As a parent you are always teaching and training your children whether you do it intentionally or not.  Those comments you say when you are on the phone, the lie you told when you were trying to get a good deal at the store or ignoring your child's poor behavior and not correcting them.  Life is a training ground when you are a parent, and the training never ends.

An example of training:  You take your child to the grocery store and your child whines the whole time they are in the store.  You are tired and little Johnny wants the sugar cereal and you told him "no", but he whines, cries and throws a fit.  You are tired, you want to get home, everyone is looking at you and you are embarrassed, it is only a box of cereal so you throw the sugar cereal in your cart and Johnny quits his fit.  You have just trained Johnny that your "no" does not mean "no", it means "yes" if he whines and cries and throws a fit.  Johnny also learned he could train mom.

When I was a younger I had a friend come over to my house.  She told me that her mom would take us to a movie if it was ok with my mom.  I asked my mom if I could go to the movie and she said "no".  I told my friend my mom said no and my friend told me that I should go back and ask my mom again and whine and beg.  I had never done that before, but my friend told me confidently that if I did that my mom would let me go to the movie.  I went up and asked my mom again whining and starting to beg and my mom looked at me (with the I mean business mom look) and she said "I said NO".  I said ok and left immediately before she had time to change her mind and give me a spanking.  My friend had been trained that "no" did not mean no.

Intentionally or unintentionally when you are a parent you are always training.

Luke 2:51 "Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them."