Do Not Provoke Your Children To Anger

Whenever you provoke your children to anger, you teach them to disrespect you.

A child filled with love and respect will NEVER have the heart to hurt you, even if you make occasional mistakes. However, a naturally kind-hearted child suddenly turning ballistic and cruel towards you is a huge sign that you deeply violated him.

Stop and think about that for a moment.

It is so easy to judge children for their mistakes and bad behavior. But why is it so difficult to look at yourself in the mirror for a while and see your own?

Is it pride?
Entitlement, perhaps?
Is it society’s fault because it placed you on the highest pedestal, making you faultless in the eyes of all children?
Or is it just you abusing your title as a parent?

Again, think about that for a moment.

What The Bible Says

If you believe that God is a god of justice and fairness, you must know He is fair in all His commandments. He commands children to respect and honour their parents. But God also commands parents NOT to provoke their children to anger.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” — Ephesians 6:4

You are not entitled to impose any control on your children. Understanding your limits as a parent is crucial in implementing the instruction of God in terms of discipline.

God does NOT instruct you to violate the rights of your children.

The Takeaway

Becoming a parent does not make you faultless. It does not wipe out your imperfections as a human being. So do understand that once you become one, it does not automatically entitle you to your children’s respect.

The title (parent) requires you to prove your worth for it.
It calls you to earn it because a sacred role is in your hands.

Becoming a parent is your opportunity to prove yourself worthy of that sacred role. So, make no mistake about how you perceive your title. It is not a chance to abuse it. Likewise, it is also not to be used to excuse your mistakes.

You are supposed to be the protector of your children. Do not be the one who causes their pain.

I hope you will be gentle and loving with your children. Provoking your children to anger leads to deep emotional damage that negatively affects their entire lives. The pain you caused them grows profoundly, leading them to disrespect you. I believe this is the last thing you would want.

Let us not complicate God’s commandment. It is easy to understand. — If you want your children’s respect, DO NOT provoke them to anger.

DISCLAIMER: This post does not intend to shame or disrespect parents but to highlight the critical points of good vs bad parenting. It speaks about the real issues of dysfunctional families, particularly toxic parents. The objective is to enlighten dysfunctional families in the hope of avoiding or repairing emotional damage to their children.