I have raised five children. My experience does not necessarily make me wise, but accumulated knowledge applied to my life’s experience has yielded some fruit of wisdom. The Bible declares that knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are primary building blocks of life. Human disciplines, such as mathematics and science, also stress the importance of these fundamentals.
Early in my life of parenting, I discovered a primary and indisputable pearl of wisdom: self-government is learned through parental discipline. In applying discipline, my role was not that of the punisher for unacceptable deeds. My role was to train my child in the ability to self-discipline. That may sound contradictory, as I was the big one carrying the “big stick.” However, if pain was the only lesson my child learned, I had failed to obtain the greater goal.
