Discipline & Parenting

Anders has been butting heads with us a lot recently (sometimes literally). Actually, it's somewhat been building for a while. I think it's the combination of all our adjustments of recent and that "terrible twos" phase where he's testing boundaries and asserting his will as much as possible.

Beth's had some rough days with that. He doesn't understand that Nils needs to be taken care of, too. He isn't getting the whole obedience thing yet. He whines a lot (and uses a specific voice when he's whining). Somewhere along the line he's learned to spit and throw things.

And of course, as a parent, it's frustrating to see your child doing that. In fact, it's upsetting at times. And he's fully aware we get frustrated. And as a husband, it hurts me to have Beth getting to the end of her rope at times. And if feels like disciplining doesn't work most of the time--he's not learning. Sometimes I just want to force him to be who he should be. We love him so darn much--which makes the whole thing all the harder.

My mind sometimes takes me to God's viewpoint. How it must make Him feel as our Heavenly Father when we're disobedient or not living up to our potential as who He created us to be. And of course, He disciplines us, but we don't get it most of the time. We prefer to do our own thing instead of realizing that God wants what's best for us. I'm sure we pain Him plenty in our stubborn ways.

But, ahhh, to have His patience as a parent for a day!

(Oh, and you may be able to notice in the pictures the chocolate chip residue on Anders face, the cookie crumbs on his shirt, the open fly . . . it was a fun outing. And the shirt is his Jedi outfit from Halloween. At one point he had me wear his knit hat which probably fit like a wacky yarmukle, so I'm sure people were looking at us thinking we're a mixed-up Jewish/Muslim family)