Thanks for this Mike, just when I really needed to hear this. It reminded me of something that Dr. Dobson was saying, he said to show kids that we mean business, don't keep saying things over and over, show them, for instance, instead of telling them over and over that they are going to be put in the naughty chair, tell them once, and then just put them in the chair, and using timers are very helpful.

toni 

Hello Mike,  Good blog.  Training involves discipleship, which of course involves discipline.  Training is being taught to do what you already know to do, except under authority.  There are certain human behavioral patterns that are inherent to humanity that are resident in every human being.  Unfortunately, not everyone is discipled/disciplined into submitting to these natural laws.  Obedience training is never over for a human.  For a dog, it's a one week course, for humans it is lifelong.

~DR

P.S. Thanks for being an encouragement to so many desperate people on mychurch.org.  I have read many of your comments on other's blogs and it is refreshing to see a consistency in your blog etiquette.  

Mike wrote, "This can be very ugly parenting, and I see it often in stores and other public places, including church!"

And at home too at rare times, I'm sure ;)

Mike wrote, "And of course, the opposite extreme is to let children do whatever they want, simply pacifying them so they'll be cooperative."

What's wrong with tranquilizer guns?  Haha, okay, enough with the jokes!

Mike wrote, "Many parents these days confuse teaching obedience with controlling the behavior."

I may have mentioned this to you before, how impressed I am with my cousins in Missouri.  They are obedient from the heart.  Modern (secular) psychology attempts to modify behavior, which is merely the outward trappings of the heart, and does not touch at all the heart underneith.  This is essentially what you've said.

I just read Deuteronomy 21 this morning:

Obedience is a very, very important thing to God.  You got the right of it, Mike, especially in light of obedience to the Infinite One whom you cannot see with your eyes or hear with your ears.

Thanks for your advice, Mike.  I'm storing these gems up for the future when I assume the role of father.  Starred. 

children need to be spanked. That's the problem. They're mommas and daddys need to turn them across their knee and spank the fire out of them. We don't see that in today's world though. My generation would have never acted like children do today because we had the fear of God put in us by daddys belt.

Mike - excellent.  From experience, I can say that without both parents on the same page, and without proper discipline, a child, especially one growing into the teen years can literally destroy a home and marriage.  Thus, heartache, rebuilding and rebonding must occur. 

Rebellion... boy do they know how to rebel and they are sneaky.  It is hard when you are not a sneaky person. 

"ALL behavior has consequences"   That is it.  We finally learned that and put into practice.

Mike wrote to OldLady:   "we agree that spanking is a worthwhile practice. In order to maximize the benefits though, we make it a practice to never do so in anger, we explain why the spanking is deserved (we prefer the term "correction" to spanking), and we always finish up with hugs -- God disciplines those he loves. It is a sign of our love when we correct."

Awesome advice, Mike!  I'll remember this when I have kids.  The Proverbs quote I put earlier endorses spanking.