Guidelines Show Love

My cousin posted this on her blog the other day. I thought it was a very insightful observation about how we need to parent our children. Nowadays many parents would rather be their child's friend than their disciplinarian. I think you will agree that as we try to be their friend, there is often a lack in guidelines and children often end up being wild.

Here are her thoughts:

The parable of the coloring page.
Last Sunday I received some interesting insight while watching Dallin color during church. Here's how it went:

Dallin was coloring in church. He had no coloring pages, so he compensated by coloring pictures I'd drawn for him months ago. He tried very hard to stay within the lines! When he was given a blank page and a crayon, he scribbled wildly on the page. Just like how Dallin tried to carefully color in the lines I had given him, he will need spiritual lines to stay in as he grows and learns. Without those boundaries, he is loud, wild, and without a guide to stay within the area he needs to be. It is our responsibility as parents to provide those lines and boundaries for him and to help him and guide his hand. Some will say they should be free to color outside the lines and that boundaries restrict their freedom. This isn't so. While we are told to stay in between the lines we aren't told what colors to use. We can make the picture how we want it.

And may I add that as we give our children the proper guidelines to have a happy and successful life, it is one way that we show them how much we love them.