Good behavior doesn't win life.

What are your parenting goals?

What do you want your kids to know, before anything else? What do you want them to hear from you, and how do you hope they'll respond?

Take a step back and ask yourself why you want obedience from your children.

Do they know your “why?”
Do you?

Game Plan_Time Out Dialogue for Training Young Hearts_Parenting Series_Becky Bennett

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates," (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, NIV).

Honestly, when my littles are going crazy and I'm feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, it's so easy for me to zero-in on their outward behavior in the moment without remembering my "why."

But good behavior doesn’t win life. It’s all about the heart.

Every opportunity for discipline and training is a chance to lean into our kids and point them to Jesus.

What if we asked them more questions, instead of just correcting them? What happened? What did you want? Did you get what you wanted? What does the Bible say? What should you do next time? Is there anyone you need to ask for forgiveness? What do you need to do to make your wrong --> right?
What if we intentionally taught them biblical reasons behind the behaviors we expect from them? Why are we kind? Because Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Why do we love? "We love because He first loved us," (1 John 4:19).
What if we could show them (and remember for ourselves) what God's kind of forgiveness looks like? We can literally wipe their slates clean at the moment the apologize, even if they still need to face consequences afterwards.

The lectures can take a time-out.
Let’s dialogue our way to their hearts.