Respect.

I have made a few observations recently.  I have observed that I as a mother am not demanding respect.   I let my 3 year old talk to me like no one else would talk to me.  She says things like "water" and "book" and I find myself getting her a glass of water and sitting down to read her a book. WHAT AM I DOING?!?!
 I guess some of it is because I fail to notice.  Some of it is laziness.  I don't want to take the time to correct her and if she doesn't do what I say after I correct her then we battle. ..and no parent enjoys that because you have to win.   When you start letting your 3 year old beat you...you start having problems.  I am the parent.  I know what's best. I brought you into this world.  I realize that a 3 year old doesn't have the capacity to understand things like that.   She thinks even at 3 that she knows best. She doesn't trust my judgment...she questions me when I tell her to do something.  I. have. to. teach. her. respect.  She is 3.  I am ....older than 3 :) I know it seems crazy that I would have to remind myself of that...but literally sometimes I give myself a little pep talk and it goes something like this... "Okay Ashley,  your the Mom here".  That's it.  Sometimes that is all I have to tell myself for me to demand respect from my sometimes obnoxious little girl.  I know that as your child grows things change and they go through "phases", but I think respect is something you always have to demand from your kids.  That phase will never go away, so I have been really praying on how I should teach respect.  Up until now, she has adored everything I do (well, almost), she has been all about pleasing me and helping me, but she is beginning to get very selfish and her disrespectful little attitude is coming out.   If I don't demand respect from her, then how is she going to know how to respect the other people in her life, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, and preachers.  After I started really thinking about respect, I started to notice that we (as in our general culture and current generation) don't have respect for a lot of things that we should.  We don't respect the heritage that makes up our past.  We don't respect our Country or the foundation that it was built upon.  We don't respect the men and women who fight for our great nation.  We don't respect the church.  The church is just another place people go to hang out...it isn't a holy place set aside to worship God anymore.  We don't respect our Holy God.  He is Holy...He demands respect and we don't give it to Him.  I hear his name used very lightly on a daily basis and it makes me cringe.  Respect is being lost in this generation.  Respect is considered to traditional.  What has happened to common courtesy??  Respect has to start with me and with other parents.  We have to respect others, and we have to demand respect from our kids.  Don't let your kids walk all over you.  You are the parent.  Yeah, I am sure that there may be a time where you won't tell them the right thing or you could have done it differently.  It doesn't matter!!! You're the parent.  I hope this has been a pep talk to some parent out there who is struggling with their kids.  After they start respecting you then they will start respecting everyone else.  Don't be afraid of your kids or what their reaction will be if you tell them No.   Be confident.  Be strong.  Be the person you want them to be.


Hebrews 13:17
 " Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."