Christian Parenting Series
Part 1, Parenting Young Children |
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THE
BEAVER
STORY
One mom was reading a book to her child about a beaver mother and son. The story was supposed to teach a child that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings pain, and the plot went something like this:
| Billy Beaver wanted to play outside, but Mother Beaver told him that beavers don't go outside in the winter; they hibernate and Billy should stay in to hibernate.
Billy really wanted to play.
So when Mother was busy, Billy put on his hat and scarf, coat and boots, and sneaked outside to play.
He felt cold and sick while playing.
When he came indoors, sick as a dog—or sick as a beaver, in this case—Mother immediately put him in bed. As he lay in bed, Mother Beaver told him that getting sick was a consequence of his disobedience.
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When this mom finished reading, she asked, “So, Son, what do you think about that story?"
Her son replied, "Mom, if beavers don't go outside in the winter, why did the mother buy him a hat and scarf, coat and boots?"
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APPLICABLE
PRINCIPLE:
RES”TRAIN”
This cute story illustrates a crucial point about restraining young children. There are certain things that you simply don’t provide to your young children.
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Metaphorically, don't allow hats and coats if you don’t want them to go outside.
Practically, don’t provide external things that you don’t want them to have, like immodest clothing. Decide, with your husband, what external influences to eliminate.
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Whatever influences you allow into your young child’s life now will produce some sort of fruit later.
Evaluate whether the influences you are allowing in now will produce the fruit you want to see develop in your child’s life… and your own.
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Watch over your heart with all diligence,
for from it flow the springs of Life.
~Proverbs 4:23
Other articles in this Parenting Young Children series:
Top of this page; Table of Contents
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