On discipline

We're still learning how to discipline. And now that Eliza's 2 years old, we con't to learn to refine how we can guide and discipline her.

There are things that i feel i'm not strict enough on and these things are those i still need to be convicted in. On eating without distractions, on that day we discovered that TV works for her while eating, it was a bonus for us cos it was so difficult to get her to eat! Thankfully, she can also eat with or without the tv, so i'm wondering on how to work towards not having her to eat in front of the TV so as to build better habits. It's something that i do as well, something that i grew up with too. I remember i could take 1hr to eat lunch and watch tv in my primary school days. Is it wrong? I don't think so. but it is not a good habit. After all, you aren't really aware of the food you eat and eventually end up eating more. Not a good habit to cultivate as we grow older either. So hopefully we don't start young.

There are things i felt that we did ok. And as I read from the Ong family on their high chair training, it starts early. I remember one thing i felt paid off even though it did take slightly longer for me to teach her but the results of it lasted till now. We went to Toys R'us to just browse and let her play with toys and at some points we was just taking the toys out, fiddling with it and walking away from the mess. So i had to carry her back to the messy spot and put the things back with her, it was more like a fun thing and she got to do a putting back activity that didn't seem like a chore. With much practice and reminders, she has more or less gotten to the habit of putting things she fiddles with back where she got it from. Same goes with our trips to the library, she has to put the books back after taking it out to browse. There are some exceptions when she's not allowed to touch (obviously when the items are breakable) and on this she's still learning the difference.

Now that she's older, i start to see the defiant streak in her. I find myself repeating the same instruction again, only to be ignored and have her doing the opposite or alternative of what i ask/instruct her to do. When that happens, i pre-warn her that i'll smack her and promptly do it when she does it. Usually that happens in just a span of a minute cos the warning is ignored. And the smack on the hand gets an immediate response. I remember once a warning got a response even before i did it. She loves playing with the door handle of the cars and once i sternly warned her that she'll receive a smack if she does it again, she almost cried and well, stopped doing it.

We have much more to go and i pray for wisdom to also speak to her on what God desires of us and how we live as children of God in our everyday lives, in the mundane of the daily humdrum.