When the Worst Happens
The Will To Dominate
The following article deals with a very important subject that we have touched on before but never discussed in detail—a child’s will to dominate. I chose this letter because it so clearly represents the many letters we receive.
Self-Control
Two-year-old Johnny was sitting in his mother’s lap at the kitchen table. He reached for a dish of steamed squash, but his mother pulled him back and said “No.” He twisted his shoulders back and forth as if to break her grasp, and then he defiantly slapped the table with the palm of his hand.
Low Self-Esteem
My thirteen-year-old has very low self-esteem. My younger son always seems to “out-do” him in obedience and schoolwork.
Ramblin’
A young father dropped by to confer with one of my sons on some item of business. His little boy, not yet two years old, wandered over to the toy box and began to drag out all manner of interesting animals and colorful, noise-making contraptions.
Preventive Training
Dear Pearls,
Our 9-year-old son (the oldest of 5) wakes up wanting to do only what he wants, no chores. He drags through work and often does an incomplete job. He pouts and throws ‘mini’ fits, which includes sunken shoulders, stomping off, etc.
Rodless Training
“Is there a way to train children if you are prevented from Biblical application of the rod?” The Bible says, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15).”
Consumption of the American Male
Have you ever seen teenage boys slouching with their pants hanging limp, walking down the sidewalk like a loose-jointed snake?
Butterflies and Backdoors
With five children still at home, their friends come in like mosquitoes in Louisiana; you just try to ignore the buzz and hope they don’t eat too much.
My Brother is a Brat
My 18-year-old daughter calls her younger siblings brats. My son hardly acknowledges he has a sister. Among the younger children there is a lot of anger and they avoid being with each other.
Something Right
Most of our child-training examples come from our friends (at least they were friends before we published their stories).
