For the Love of Discipline by Sara Wallace

Author:Sara Wallace [Sara Wallace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781629953588
Publisher: P&R Publishing
Published: 2018-04-12T00:00:00+00:00

You can see that I plan out chunks of time, not every second. This gives me flexibility within my structure. You can also see that our day is very simple. It looks like we’re just accomplishing basic survival. We’re eating, playing, and picking up toys. But purposeful training is also happening. Structure frees up my brain to concentrate on the teachable moments that pop up within each activity.

What about moms who work outside the home? How can they implement structure in order to create shepherding moments? I have a good friend who works full-time. She drops her two daughters off at school and then goes to work. She describes her daily structure as a bit chaotic. Everyone gulps down their breakfast in the morning, and she doesn’t plan dinner until she is driving home at the end of the day. Her special moments of shepherding revolve around bedtime. Every night, she and her husband get the girls ready for bed. They talk about the day and take their time putting on jammies and picking stuffed animals. Then Mommy climbs into bed with them one at a time, and they whisper and cuddle until the kids fall asleep. What precious times!

In direct contrast, I keep bedtime short and sweet in our home. After being home with the kids all day, I don’t feel the need to draw it out. This is just one example of how structure might look different for working moms and stay-at-home moms. The common factors are intentionality and consistency. When and how are we regularly pursuing our kids’ hearts? This can be sprinkled throughout the day or can take place in more concentrated chunks. But we have to make sure it’s happening.

What about playdates, family outings, and sicknesses? What happens when structure is interrupted? Think of your kids like Jell-O and your structure like those fancy Jell-O molds. Every day, you pour discipline and character training into your kids. Your structure is what holds it all together. Then, on special occasions when the structure is taken away, discipline still holds its shape. My kids know that behavior at a birthday party should be no different than behavior at home. The same thoughtfulness and self-control that they practice every day at home applies to walking around the grocery store.

Structure gives me time to keep our home a hospitable place for when guests drop in unexpectedly. Structure also helps our family to be able to say yes to ministry opportunities because we are more likely to be caught up on our own responsibilities. We teach our kids that we want to use our home for God’s glory. Our structure helps us to be wise with our time and resources so that we have more to share with others. Having a predictable schedule for the kids protects my time as well as theirs, so that we have more time to do the things that are important to us.

As a blogger, I like to share with other moms whenever I discover a new tool that helps me with my structure.

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