Up to age five, their world is usually with the parents and siblings. They may be exposed to outside forces when they are invited to parties.
They would test your limits, throw tantrums when they want to get something.
When my three children were toddlers, i would take them along to malls. one child in particular would surely point at things he wanted like car toys. He would not stop crying until the object he wanted was bought.
My two other sons would relent if I say no.
My sister related her story about her youngest son. The son wanted to stay up when it was already bedtime for him. He would not stop crying, so my sister said: “Ok, go ahead, you can stay there alone. You can cry at the top of your voice, do it until tomorrow. She started to move up to her bedroom. When the son noticed that she was serious, the boy stopped crying and went up with her.
The lesson here, be firm. If you promise something to the child, don’t back out of the promise. Don’t promise something that you cannot fulfill. Even at an early age, communicate in a loving tone.
The Bible has many advices in Proverbs on rearing of children.
Proverbs 22:6, 15
6 Train the child in the way he should go,23:13
And when he is old, he will not turn from it.,
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
Do not withhold discipline from a child;29:15
if you punish him with a rod he will not die.
Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.
The rod of correction imparts wisdom,17:6
but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
Children’s children are a crown to the aged,Ephesians 6:1-4
and parents are the pride of their children.
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord,for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3“that it may go well and that you may enjoy long life on earth.”Ephesians 3:20-21
4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this please the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they become discouraged.
Message from Our Lord Jesus
many parents are complaining of their children's disobedience while they are doing exactly the same thing to Me; why, can they really claim to have abundant goodness, patience and toleration? had they really all these virtues their children too would have the virtue of obedience and would honour them both; but I tell you: this generation's minds are empty and so Darkness came and filled them up; for the image of becoming a philosopher is more important in their eyes than My Eternal Glory;tlig
In some countries, spanking an erring child is prohibited. They lose control of the child because the child threatens to report them to the authorities.
In the Philippines, admittedly, there are abusive parents also who batter their children, and there are cases where the beating resulted to death. I can say that these are isolated cases. The community should be watchful of parents with violent tendencies, and should be reported to the authorities for child abuse.
What is more frightening is that when the child, without teaching on the Lord nor undergo discipline by the parents on the right way to go, reaches adulthood.
Parents work hard for money. At times leave the disciplining of the children to the nannies. Most of the time, the children love their nannies better than their parents who they seldom see. What is money? We work to provide for the bright future of the children, but without the right teaching, and discipline, they might end up in prison as in the case of Joran Van der Sloot.
