Another great parenting tip I’ve received from our good friends the Pritchards is to differentiate between what is average and “normal” and what is God’s design. It’s easy to say, “Kid’s fight. That’s just normal.” Was that in God’s original design? I don’t think it was. It’s true that none of us is going to be perfect and there are things that start to seem “normal” as we look at the world around us. It’s easy to justify as we compare ourselves against “the world.” However, we want to try and look at ourselves (and our kids) in light of God’s original design and what His hope for our lives would be. I want to try and not justify my child’s actions. To balance that, however, I do want to be able to rear them in such a way that their actions shouldn’t be justified by the “norm” and yet let them fully understand the grace extended to them. There in lies the balance that needs to be found.
So true-love this!
Thanks. It was such a good lesson for me to learn.