Catch Your Children...Doing Something Right

It is very easy, so easy that I do not have to think about it…not even twice, for me to catch my two kids (in the pic) doing something wrong. In fact, I am certain that they expect me to catch them whenever they are doing something wrong. I am not sure why, perhaps we are conditioned to see the worst in people. Seeing the good is really some hard work I admit but it is possible.

"Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged" (Colossians 3:21). That seems like a million dollar challenge but it is very possible not to embitter our children. They do look up to us for encouragement. A friend once note that nobody thrives on discouragement.

Now for this idea of catching them doing something right. In their book "How To Be A Hero To Your Kids", Josh MacDowell and Dick Day make an observation that if you catch your children doing something right and praise them, they will most likely do it again. I found this to be true of late.

Our kids were dressing up for school and Linga got his school shoes from the wardrobe and in a flash, went back and got his sister's school shoes. I picked up on that and thanked him for doing it. Even more important was the fact that Tami thanked him for it. We reinforced that several times and they do it for each other regularly. Once in a while we have to remind them but
they have gotten into the habit of doing things for each other.

So here is the challenge: can you catch your children doing something right over the next week? Come back and tell us the results.

Have a great weekend hunting!