THE GIFT OF FAMILY (23) TEACH THEM TO THINK MORALLY II A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone. - Billy Graham A California study of a thousand college students looked at the relationship between the student’s level of moral reasoning and how they were parented. Students who scored high on moral reasoning came from families that encouraged open discussion of controversial topics. Other studies have shown that highly-permissive parents who did not expect obedience from their children and gave inappropriate praise produced “me-firsters,” children whose only thought was to satisfy themselves. And the other extreme, over-controlling parents produced conformist teenagers who couldn’t think for themselves. In these studies, families who gave their children a voice in decisions produced teenagers who were able to reason morally. Getting children to preach to themselves becomes the most lasting morality lesson. As parents, we should take the nurturing, training, bringing up, and looking out for our children seriously; like it were our only responsibility. Its a parents duty to make his children know the difference between rights and wrongs. You and your children are at a store and the cashier gives you too much change back. You notice the error and share it with them: “Oh, the cashier gave us too much money back.” And then you offer a moral commentary as if thinking out loud: “This extra money does not belong to us. It would not be right to keep it. The cashier may be suspended or lose her job for this mistake. I would feel bad if I kept the money” Your children might justify the error, and say, “But mummy, everybody does it.” You reply, “Does that make it right? What do you believe is the right thing to do? How do you think you would feel if you kept money that didn’t belong to you?” Then add, “I feel good doing the right thing and returning the money.” Beloved, if we dont teachour children, who will? We should never make the mistake of leaving teaching them to the society, or school because they might end up a long way from where we want them to become - be their role model in matters of morality. Theyve got their eyes on you. WISDOM NUGGET: Proverbs 1:8-9 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, (9) for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. - ESV Let us pray: Father make me a responsible parent to my children, in Jesus name.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:58:27 +0000
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