Proverbs 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
This passage of scripture teaches us that we should not be governed by our emotions, especially when dealing with the delicate issue of raising our children. Children are an heritage of the Lord, and as such are to be trained for service, both to God and to the rest of humanity, being productive and decent citizens of earth, and then finally of heaven. No good parent takes delight in the failures and shortcomings of their offspring, but these instances do occur from time to time, and parents have a moral obligation to God and to society, to make the necessary corrections when their children walk contrary to the revealed will of God.
If we sit idly by, while our children run the gamut of evil-doing, without any remonstrance on our part, then the law of sowing and reaping kicks in, as deadly traits of character take deep root in the children's minds, and since character is basically set by the age of seven or eight, it becomes extremely difficult to turn the tide of evil as they get older. This is one of the main reasons why The Lord caused the following text to be written in His word, for it contains a very important and sacred truth for parents everywhere. Let's read:
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
The reason why it's so important not to neglect this sacred obligation, is because of the importance of instilling moral values and truths into their minds, before they get set in their ways, and when this is done on a consistent basis the children develop a keen sense of right and wrong, so that they are able to make informed choices as they grow older. This is one of the reasons why in the Bible we often read that the sons of God-fearing fathers and mothers, "Walked" in the way of their parents, because by precept and example they were taught the laws and moral values found in the scriptures, and thus, after the turbulent teenage years have passed, they tend to settle in on the teachings that were given in their youth.
However, the issue of disciplining a child based on emotions is productive of very great evil, on both sides of the coin. Parents should never correct their children in anger, by shouting at them or calling them demeaning names, neither should they refrain from their sacred duty because of the crying or remonstrances of the child, for if our emotions are brought to bear prominently in the discipline of our children, then their response to correction will also be emotionally based, and the end result will be that they will only obey when shouted at, or otherwise would cry every time they need to be corrected, thus playing a game of cat and mouse with our emotions, which are fluid in nature.
Another issue that pertains to the correction of kids is the type of disciplinary measures which can be employed to bring them back to the path of rectitude when they stray repeatedly into forbidden paths. The Bible tells us that we should employ the rod of speaking and entreaty first, and we can also use the more contemporary rod of "Time out", but if these and other mild measures fail of bringing the desired results, then parents are authorized by God to use the literal rod of correction, even though this should be the very last resort, and when it becomes necessary to do so, it should never be done in anger or applied emotionally, for it will have the opposite effect of what we were trying to accomplish.
This last method has come under attack by the secular world, and as a direct result, we have instances like the Columbine massacre, where children who were not corrected or restrained by their parents, manifest a callous indifference to human life, and so as a nation, our chickens are now coming home to roost, in our communities, and in society as a whole. The tendency to avoid the use of the various types of "Rods" available, is both un-scriptural and detrimental in nature, and therefore the Bible issues a profound statement to parents who neglect the sacred work of training their children for God. Let's read:
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Those parents, who by the grace of God fulfill their parental duties will reap the results of their labors in after years, in the form of law-abiding citizens of earth and of heaven, for the blessing of God rests heavily on those who choose to go against the popular grain, of turning a blind eye to the evil characteristics and habits in their children. And so we end with a passage of scripture which encapsulates the sometimes trying work of training our children aright, with the hope that it will be a source of encouragement and instruction to all who are saddled with this very complex task. Let's read:
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
May these instructions be of benefit to as many as are currently training their children, for God will add His blessing to the doing of His word. "Good night" and God bless!