Question: As a parent I hear many words that describe what I am supposed to be doing with my children. I get confused about how to use punishment, consequences, discipline, training, and instruction. At times I think they’re all synonyms referring to the same thing. Other times it get the sense that they are unique. Sometimes it begins to feel like I need a glossary and the ability to pass an elaborate matching quiz to fulfill what God expects of me as a parent. Can you help me think through this kind of dilemma?
Resources: Here are several resources that can be useful in preparing for of following up with the conversation discussed in this VLOG post.
- Book: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
- Book: Instructing a Child’s Heart by Tedd and Margy Tripp
- Book: Everyday Talk by John Younts
- Book: Age of Opportunity by Paul Tripp
- Book: Gospel-Powered Parenting by William P. Farley
Here are the definitions of the five terms used in this blog post.
- Consequences – natural implications of bad decisions of sin or folly
- Punishment – extra negative consequences applied by a moral authority for the purpose of opening blind eyes or softening a hard heart
- Discipline – structures of life that are implemented to make wisdom and righteousness easier to see and obtain
- Training – actions and practices required in order to make wisdom and righteousness a more natural “habit”
- Instruction – verbal explanations that put into words the principles/values which undergird discipline and training
To review the other questions addressed in this VLOG series click here.
Note: The VLOG (video-blog) Q&A is a regular series on my blog. If you would like to submit a question, it can be e-mailed to Summit’s admin over counseling at counseling@summitrdu.com (please note this is an administrative account; no individual or family counsel is provided through e-mail). Please limit your questions to 3-7 sentences. This is not a forum for to request or receive counseling. No responses will be sent to questions other than those selected for a video response.