I remember oh so well. At the age of four, Peanut wanted what he wanted— and he was ready to test every limit to see if he could get it. Lying on the floor in protest? Worth a try. Yelling and stomping? Also worth testing. He just wanted to make sure that our boundaries were firm and that he could trust me to be consistent.
But Peanut isn’t the only one who has tried this. All four of our kids had their moments of pushing back, questioning the rules, and seeing what happens when they rebelled.
Several years ago, Bubs brought home a simple phrase from church that stuck with us:
“You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.”
It became a mealtime mantra — and then an everyday reminder. Sweet Pea picked it up and repeated it often to her brothers, and now years later, the phrase still pops up in our home. I have a feeling this little saying will be passed down to our grandchildren one day.
Kids Are Listening
Why do I walk down memory lane? Even when it feels like nothing is sinking in, even when the day-to-day grind of training and teaching seems pointless, the words we speak are planting seeds.
I often got discouraged in the endless cycle of cleaning, cooking, training, and correcting. It felt like nothing was changing and that I was failing at teaching my kids about Jesus and His character.
But then, I’d overhear one sibling reminding another, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” They may not have been applying it perfectly, but they were learning — and that is progress.
Encouragement for You
So, friend, keep going. When you feel like your consistency isn’t working, you might be closer to a breakthrough than you think.
Galatians 6:9 – And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
You are doing important work. Hang in there — gospel work is never done in vain.
Read More…
- When Your Children Don’t Match Your Parenting Dreams
- How to Change a Child’s Heart
- How My Expectations Nearly Ruined My Family
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