The other day, my son had a problem with complaining. From the time he woke up, nothing pleased him. By the time we were in the car to run some errands, I realized the complaining wasn't going to stop unless I said or did something.
I attempted to explain why complaining (about everything) was such a serious offense against God. When I paused and looked back in my rear view mirror, he was covering his ears.
Perhaps I was talking too much. Perhaps I should have been questioning, but I don't think questioning would have been effective this time.
Perhaps it is time for another breakfast talk about complaining. I'll probably ask them if they can remember any Bible stories or people about complaining and see what they say. I'll ask them what the Bible says about God's provision. They may not know the answers, but this will give me an opportunity to share them.
For my kids, complaining almost always morphs into pouting. We have discussed the story of Ahab a number of times recently. Maybe because they are out of the house more, observing what they perceive to be the "haves"… while they are, in their view, the "have nots".
These are good thoughts, Diane. Thanks for the feedback! I just decided another question would be to ask my children if they can put off murmuring, what should they put on? Thankfulness and contentment come to mind. Have a great weekend.
Btw, I have added a link to your site as well as your mom's to my blog. These are good resources. Thanks for targeting such a wide gamut of parenting issues from a biblical perspective.
Hi Lyn! It's great to hear from you! Thanks for the comment. Of course you're right, and I appreciate your taking the time to point this out. I'm sure Lee and I will be discussing this incident further.