How did I discipline my children?
Marina L. Grace
Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer | Director of Business Development at Grace Empowerment International | Author | Volunteer Career Coach
My father loved me very much. I did not recall that he ever punished me at all. He always lowered his voice to explain to me why I made a mistake. This is the reason why I always loves my father.
My mother was a determined woman. I got my character from my mother. This is the reason why I had no hesitation to punish my daughters when they made mistakes and tried to challenge my authority. My husband is a sugar daddy, just like my dad. I had no choice and I had to be the tiger mom.
“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)
I remembered when my young daughter drew on the wall first time. I did not punish her and I explained to her and gave her the house rule not to draw on the wall again. My young daughter wanted to test the water and she drew on the wall second time and observed my reaction. I immediately picked up a ruler to span her feet. Since then, she got my message. If she breaks the house rule, she will receive my punishment.
When my elder daughter failed her math and got a “D” grade, it was because she thought the Math teacher was silly to make up a Math question with Bat man and Robin. I did not punish her. I just cried inside myself and I did not know how to teach her. Both my husband and I are engineers, we love Math. By the time I returned home, I was so tired and I did not have the patience to teach them Math and homework. We decided to let my daughter to stay at school for taking the makeup class. Thank you God that it worked. My daughter’s Math grade was improved from a grade “D” to “B+”. I still thinks that she was accepted by the Prestige College because of her dramatic improvement in Math grade.
Now, my elder daughter married last year and she was elected as the deaconess in her church. My young daughter will study her PhD. program to pursuit her dream to find a medicine to save people. I thank God to guide me how to discipline my children when they were young. The most important part is that when I made mistake in teaching my children, God reminded me for my mistake and made me change. May God receive all the glories. Amen.