Proper Parenting Prevents Painful Pendulums

Pondering on the recliner; memories swirl in his heart as he stares at the building he has called home for some 45 years. It seems like yesterday; when he had been led to see the property by an attractive Realtor. Immediately he stepped into the front yard with its idiosyncratic landscape; he knew he wanted this one. The Realtor could see the smile in his face. ‘You seem to like it sir’, she enthused. ‘You bet I do’; he replied with accompanying gusto. ‘You think you like this baby’, said the Realtor; ‘Just wait until you see the interior and you will fall head-over-hills in love with her’ After spending two minutes looking around, Mr. John asked, ‘What is your fee, my dear?’ ‘It’s just 10% of the total cost for the property'. She replied. ‘That’s no problem: here is a check for 13%; the three percent is for you to give yourself a treat on my behalf; and what did you say you name was?'  ‘Jenny', she replied, and the house was John’s. 

Now, the window of his daughter's room, seem to stare questioningly at him – he hadn’t seen or heard from Sarah in eleven years; and no, she is not dead; she just treats him as a dead father. He used to blame her for the strained relationship, but now a Septuagenarian; he puts the blame squarely on himself. He supports himself, with his stick and rises to his feet; his hands quivering, he writes what he titles: Parenting Tips for Young Parents.

Tip 1: Don’t try to get your boys or your girls to live your childhood dreams – let them be themselves.
Tip 2: Stop screaming at your daughters – talk to them as a man does when he is magnetically attracted to a woman.
Tip 3: Be the first real man to tell your own grown up daughter that you love them – Actually, tell them you love them every time they impress you and do same even when they make mistakes. This will ensure protection against the deceptions of the ‘I love you’ they will hear over and over from male admirers.
Tip 4: Be one with your wife when it comes to disciplining the kids - never present a divided front.
Tip 5: Never fall for the trap of ‘let the children be; they are just kids’; because you think they are too young to learn – it’s never too early to teach a child; that is why formal education begins with toddlers and not at teenage years.
Tip 6: Use the Book of Jesus, the Christ, as your guide for parenting: Proverbs 22:6 says, ‘Train up a child’.
 
Now let me explain tip 6:
Train them up, don’t train them down. Train them up, don’t train them backwards; train them up, don’t train them sideways, and please quit training them down. Now to be a good trainer, you will need to be trained yourself; and I do not know a better trainer than Jesus Christ; Oh I wish I met Jesus many years before I did. My rebellion and my success were my greatest obstacles and my combined foolishness. You need a personal relationship with Jesus to succeed beyond human description.
 

Pulling the page from his diary, he slips it into the envelop that held his apology letter to Sarah; it simply said: ‘My daughter, please forgive me; 'I Iove you’. Three days later, she was standing at his doorstep; her arms wide open, her eyes wet with tears. In the arms of her Daddy’s embrace, she said ‘Daddy, I love you and I missed you; and these are my boys, your grand children: Jerry and John; yes, I named John after you. And you should know that I gave my life to Jesus after reading your parenting tips – I’m so glad we are a family again.


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