Discipline and Discipling

by Marissa Writes - Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I want the best for my kiddos. I want them to get along with other kids so they can be respected and feel part of the group. I want them to know how to listen and interact so that other kids will want to play with them. Isn't that a major desire for moms?

This desire causes me more stress than is necessary because I want my kids to have figured out these social expectations as soon as they have had one experience I know that sounds absurd - I have been on this earth for decades and still don't always behave correctly to always fit in with the group. Granted I've finally found a group I feel good about me in, and am not playing a part, but that isn't the point of this... All the pressure I put on me and my kids to be accepted by this broken world - that is the point.

This is the essential desire I have as I look for tools to use as I learn to be the best mom I can be (don't get me wrong I do go to the Bible and family for a ton of insight and help, in case you've just read my parenting handbook post). And of course I enjoy all the tips and recommendations I receive from my little blogging community on tools that have helped give them confidence. So as 2013 started I dug in deep to The Tripps parenting books: Shepherding a Child's Heart and Instructing a Child's Heart.

So I'd like to spend some time discussing my thoughts on these books over the next couple of weeks.

Starting with Shepherding a Child's Heart next week. I'll discuss some of the points that I completely agree with and have started using, how they are working for my family. I would also like to share some of the issues I had with the book.

Then I'll move on to Instructing a Child's Heart - which is the follow up to Shepherding a Child's Heart.

We'll see how long it takes for me to get through my thoughts, as I know these are highly respected books in the parenting library and am hoping for some thoughts and concerns others from this community have had with these books, as I know many of you have read them. And then I'd like to address some of them on here as I go through the books. So please if you are in that stage of life where guiding your child and teach him or her how to behave in this world is a daily activity add your thoughts to the comments below. Or send me an email - there is a link on the right side with my email address.

I realize that human reasoning is never going to be completely applicable for each child in each situation but my hope in reading these kinds of books is that I will build an arsenal of ideas and confidence so that as I am faced with different parenting challenges I am able to put on a sense of confidence and pretend to know what I'm doing so my children can rely on me as a source of strength as they learn to navigate this world.

Please join me!