Discipline starts early ...

 

Everybody knows..

It is definitely not easy being parents..

One thing as our never-ending homework is teaching discipline.

It’s hard because, we as parents also lacks certain discipline sometimes..

Such as we often get to work late.. :D, we don’t do certain tasks as promised to others and other stuffs..

Well, how can we teach discipline if we as parents’ don’t practice it perfectly?

But then again.. We are trying to mould a better generation than ourselves right.. We have to try.

Because this is not an easy thing to do.. We try to teach discipline by building habits that hopefully will lead to discipline.

 As we both work , we always wake our child at six am.. yes sometimes she cries because she’s still sleepy.. and she kept rolling  left or right in bed, but then we tell her she can have a nap later on..and we take her ourside to see that the sun has risen, and the birds and cats have already waken up too..

At 6.15 am , we gave her a bath.. so when we leave for work she is all neat  and tidy.. ready to kiss us goodbye.

And by applying that rule, we always tuck her in bed at round about 9 pm, so she will have adequate sleep at night.

This bedtime rules was applied ever since she was born. Eventhough when she was just a couple of months old, she often wakes up at night and didnt go back to sleep until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning.. but we always turn the lights off at 9 pm, to teach her that night time is dark and it is for sleeping.

And.. so far we don’t have any problems tucking her in at 9 pm.

Another habit we try to build is the behaviour in Church..

Its hard to keep a child not running around or screaming in Church.. because lets face it, two hours of Church is one of a big boring activity for a child.

When she was still 12-18 months, her meal time coincides with Church hours, therefore I had to give her breakfast or dinner in Church.. this means that we had to sit outside in Church.

But ever since she was 18 months above, she can have her meals earlier.. so in Church she doesn’t have to eat anymore.. only snacks as fruit, fruit juice, biscuit or milk.. and that can be eaten inside..

*I guess :D

So now, we rarely sit outside with other parents.

From my observation.. its definitely hard having a toddler in Church.. they just keep on playing and running around.. hehehe

But on the other hand.. I saw some perfectly sweet toddlers.. Sitting on mommy’s or daddy’s lap, or occupied with some snacks and books sitting inside the Church..

Well, maybe they are not as active as the others.. or probably because their parents won’t let them run around.

Honestly.. sometimes its me.. the parents who wants to sit outside the Church.. so we don’t have to listen 100% to the service inside.. we just want to chill out.. its more relaxed outside, we can watch our children play, and when they make a noise.. we don’t have to bother.

Then it hits me.. maybe this not about the child after all.. Because once we let the run around in Church and we sit outside.. they will think that its OK and it becomes a habit.

First we as parent must commit to these rules that we try to teach.

 

So even though its sometimes tiring try to occupy a child inside a Church, making sure she doesn’t disturb others.. We try to do that.

Yes sometimes she still disturb others with her babbling and her ways.. but hey.. Doesn’t Jesus himself welcome children?

It doesn’t always work out though.. we need to have lots of trick up our sleeve.. The thing is just be persistent, because children are so smart.. one day they will surely learn about the right thing.

 One thing to keep her occupied during mass is to involve her in the activities, we taught her how to pray, shown her the singers and also the pastor  “Romo”.. So now when we tell her, lets go to Church she will say.. “Romo” J

She becomes interested in the mass and especially during communion, she’s so eager for mommy and daddy to eat hosti “ayo ayo mam kue” .. hehe

 Today I had to sit with her alone inside the Church because my husband has to read the Gospel in front, I almost gave in and said let’s sit outside because I dont have a sparing partner here.. .. but then I changed my mind.

 

We sat inside, just the two of us, while daddy sits in front . We sat near the side exit where we can see the other children playing outside. Her eyes wide open looking at the other kids running about and throwing pebbles in the pond. She pointed outside mimicking those kids and said “sit there”..

I said “ok sit there alone or sit here on mommy’s lap”

She said “mommy’s lap”

Case closed J

I don't know if this can also be applied for little boys.. :p

But little girls are truly made in heaven.. they stick to mommy :D hehehe

Once in a while she would stare again and points again outside.. Really it breaks my heart that actually she was so eager to play, and I won’t let her.

But then.. no.. I must try to teach her.. this is Church, we come here to pray.

You can play and run around at any other time but not here.

 

There will be other challenges, sometimes we will succeed and surely many times we won’t. There’s no golden rule and probably there’s a different style for every family.