Chapter 2

Maternal Authority Part 1

A mother's happiness greatly depends on the good or bad character of her children.

How shall we govern our children to ensure their viture or happiness?

1.  Obedience - this is essential in the family unit.  Without obedience everything else you try to do will fail.  If your children's habit is disobedience your instructions and hard work will be in vain.  By obedience, we do not mean mother having to yell and/or threaten, but prompt, cheerful acquiescence.  The child should not yield to any arguement or persuasion on our part, but submit immediately to our authority.

It is the duty of parents to convince our children of the reason why we have rules and why they must obey us.  This is part of our instruction of them.  However, a child should always submit to your authority whether they can see the reason for it or not.

First thing to do is bring  your child under perfect submission.  He must obey you.  Train him in immediate and cheerful obedience.  Without this, your home will be a scene of noise and confusion.

2.  How is the habit of obedience to be established?  (yes, that is the question!)

~Never give a command that you do not intend to be obeyed, meaning giving a command that you have no intention of enforcing.  If you do this, the child's habit becomes one of disregarding his mother, and after time reasoning and threats go unheeded as well.

If you give your child a command, if it is not followed right away, you must immediately give effectual discipline.

After the child has had her punishment, talk about it not happening again and forgive her.  Now is the perfect time to help your child learn to confess her sin to our Lord and help them to ask for His forgiveness as well. 

~Yes, this will take time out of our already busy day, but in the long run, and orderly family takes less time to run than a disorderly one.