Freewill and Choices

I'm reading Parenting By the Book again because it is a very good book and gets to the heart of parenting before all these psychologist started getting involved and telling us how we were all messing up our kids. It goes with the Grandma child training, from teaching your children to be good citizens and respectful. Another reminder throughout the book is how we all have a freewill.

God created each and every person on this earth. He started with Adam and Eve. He made them different then rats, mice, dogs etc. So when you hear studies done with this animals or others to explain human behavior they can be easily dismissed because humans are the only creatures given freewill. Adam and Eve had everything we could ever dream of. Everything but one tree. God told them they could not eat of the fruit of this one tree otherwise all their needs were taken care of. But because of freewill and God allows us to make choices, Eve was tempted and choose to eat of the fruit of the one forbidden tree.

When it comes to parenting why do I think that I can raise almost perfect children. I'm not perfect, in fact I screw up somehow probably everyday. I make wrong choices and have all my life. I have also of course made good choices too. But we are all sinners and so are our children. Which is why when they do make wrong choices we need to follow through with a punishment. Just as we have punishments for our wrong choices. In a perfect world we would always do the right thing, be selfless, loving and serving others. But it is a fallen world and we all fall short including our children. I've really been blind-sided by that this week in dealing with wrong choices made by my children. So why am I dumbfounded by this, feeling like a terrible mom and very guilty of a bad choice made by an offspring. As I said earlier Adam and Eve had everything and still made a bad choice which has effected us today. We need to strive to make the right choices and have to deal with the consequences when we don't. We need to remember that our children are also still learning and will continue to make wrong choices as well. We can teach them and train them but we can't get rid of the freewill God has given to them.

There will be a time or times in your parenting where your children will make bad choices. It will be hard sometimes to deal with but just as God forgives us and teaches us we need to deal with the bad choice and move on and hope that next time the same situation appears they will make a better choice.