Bible Advice on Raising Children

Parents should be aware that the Bible says “an individual who does not punish his son physically is leading him up the path to disobedience and worse”. Do not spare the rod, is what it says, (proverbs 13:24) but is this practical now? Do you have to be as authoritarian as Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon? More importantly, is it necessary? 

Therein lays the balancing act that Bible always provides. Any child would know why he is being punished and would repent. The punishment, however, has to be reasonable and within the limits. If you cross the line, the exasperation starts in the child. Punishing the children is only half the task. Ephesians 6:4, which recommends admonition also beseeches that you teach the children the instructions of the Lord. Train them in their life to grow obeying the Lord. You can find detailed instructions of  Bible Verses about Children here. 

Parents have a ready example in the Bible in Jesus. Was Jesus ever disobedient? Did he give any chance to his parents to be angry with him at any time? Except when he was on the cross and pointed his finger at John and told his mother that John was to be her son henceforth, he never said anything not in concurrence with his mother's wishes. Even here, it was more out of necessity as imposed by God than his own wish. 

His self-less love and sacrifices could form the perfect lessons for the parents and other elders to teach the children. Sunday schools are an important activity that inculcates these values in the young people but sadly, not many parents are keen to send their wards to these classes. 

You are not doing anything out-of-ordinary by chastening them. God himself chastens those whom he loves and molds them the way he wants them to be (Heb12:6). The Bible accepts that children are not gifted with knowledge and are largely ignorant of the world and its ways. It instructs the parents to use rod for correcting them but diligence is advised (proverbs22:15). A child, if not corrected as his life progresses, will turn out to be a source of embarrassment to his mother (proverbs 29:15).   

Proverbs 3 is replete with advice to children. It tells them not to disobey the parents and to realize that the father has his welfare in his mind. It addresses the sons not to take the Lord's advice lightly. Like a father has his son's welfare in his heart, so does the Lord has his good future in his heart and it is with this thought in his mind that he censures him. We suggest you to read Proverb 3 along with these inspirational Quotes about Children!