This is a question that thousands of parents face every day. There are many solutions to this problem; some have proven to be successful and some have not. As a Christian writer and mother of three, I’m going to share an option that really works; (it worked in our house) so it’s not a theory, it’s a proven solution to the problem of rebellion. I had to learn these lessons the hard way, but luckily I learned them in time to fix the problem of rebellion when my children were young.

When and where does the rebellion begin?

The rebellion at home starts slowly but gains momentum as it continues. Like a snowball, it first starts with a handful of snow; but as it rolls down the hill, that innocent snowball gets bigger and bigger. You may be looking at a child who is rebellious and wondering how this happened when yesterday seemed so good. It wasn’t just since yesterday; the rebellion takes place over time. Rebellious actions and attitudes may not have been referred to as rebellion until they got out of control and the whole world was affected.

With your child, think for a minute… when did the rebellion start? I’ll use Cute Puppy’s story to help you identify when it may have started.

the cute puppy

Position yourself as the mom in this story: Once upon a time there was a stray puppy who knocked on your door, and since he was so cute you fed him. The next day, this cute puppy, with sad eyes, comes to the door and this time you let your children feed him. On the third day, the cute puppy doesn’t look so sad anymore, now he wags his tail because he knows that he has found a friend. On the fourth day you feed the cute puppy and let him in for a nap.

One little thing had been overlooked: the family rule of “no pets in the house.” Her husband had asked the family to make this rule after they had to buy a new sofa because the family dog ​​had soiled the old one. The dog had already died, but the rule had been forgotten. On the fifth day the cute pup comes to the door wagging his tail and this time you let him in to eat, nap and play for a while. After all, he is so cute and the kids have so much fun… What could be wrong with having him for a while? After an hour or so you say, “We have to get the puppy outside before your dad gets home.” “Oh mom,” the children cry, “let him stay a little longer; he’s so cute and we’re having so much fun.” You agree to let him stay a bit longer by saying, “Only if you don’t let him on the couch, remember how your father feels about it.” “Okay, we won’t,” say the children.

But no matter how cute a puppy is, it’s a puppy, and a puppy will do what puppies do. As the games continue, the puppy jumps on the sofa to catch a ball. “Mom, come see how he jumps to get the ball.” Children cry: “He is the cutest puppy.” But before anyone could stop him, you guessed right, he lifts his cute little leg and… oh no, what do we do? Dad would be home any minute and the couch was wet and the living room smelled like a dog.

You have a great idea: “Okay kids, let’s go out to dinner and call someone to come and clean the couch while we’re gone.” This seemed to be a good way to deal with the problem. Dad is not angry, you are free, the children are happy, and the cute puppy still has a home.

What really happened that day?

A seed of rebellion was planted.

Children were taught that it is okay to break a family rule.

They learn to disrespect Dad, and that his requests don’t really matter.

They learned that if something feels good and is fun, just do it.

They learned to find a way out of problems.

They learned to cover things up, what dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Another example of how the rebellion starts:

Rebellion is like a small seed, it is planted in tender soil and then it begins to grow. You may not notice that the seed is growing until one day it sprouts from the ground. He may not take the time to do anything about the little weed or the little lie his son told him about where he went after school. But just like the little weed in the flower garden, if you don’t pull it out, it keeps growing. As the weeks and months go by, the little lie and the little grass grow and no one notices. It is possible that one day you look out the window and see that the weeds have turned into a tree and that the son no longer comes home. As a step? Just yesterday everything was fine. No, it takes time for a weed to grow into a tree and it takes time for rebellion to grow into a child. When the rebellion has not been addressed in the early stages, the results are very predictable. Proverbs 29:15 says, “A child left to himself will greatly shame his father and his mother.”

Your child is like a garden and what is planted will sprout or come out. Start today by weeding the flower garden. Watch what comes out of your child’s mouth. Are they weeds or beautiful flowers? I would consider the teasing and disrespectful words of a child as weeds. When these weeds first appear, pull them out simply by saying, “That’s unacceptable.” Apply Proverbs 29:17 and correct them. When the correction is given correctly, out of love, God assures him in Proverbs 23: 13-14, that he will save his child from future destruction. So do your homework; find out how the seed was planted in the first place and eliminate the source of the problem. As a parent, you have God-given authority.

Bad seeds come from several sources:

Today’s TV shows and movies are full of violence, sex, and deception. The friends your children hang out with are a very strong influence and need to be carefully monitored. And just like in the Cute Puppy story, the way the parents cover things up can also plant a seed of rebellion.

If you have a rebellious child, take action today!
Go to the source, remove the influence, and don’t wait until the weeds grow into trees. You can pull out a weed with two fingers when it first appears. If you wait until the brush grows into a tree, it will take a lot more effort because a tree requires heavy equipment to dig it up. The two fingers are the mother and the father, both getting involved and working together. Both of you must take responsibility for correcting the problem.

This method of dealing with rebellion when it starts has worked in our home. Our children are now 24, 20 and 16 years old. We dealt with the little weeds when they first sprouted when they were young, and we’ve never had to deal with teenage rebellion. If you have a rebellious child, there is hope; but it must start with you, the parent. God honors the position of father and when you cry out to Him in humility repenting of your mistakes, He will hear your cry and help you. Repentance will restore the authority you may have lost in your child’s life.

Solutions for a rebellious child

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