Your Wild Child

"Spare the rod and spoil the child" is the oft-quoted phrase attributed to the Bible that endorses corporal punishment. Did you know this phrase does not specifically come from the Bible? It's actually attributed to a 17th-century satirical poem by Samuel Butler entitled "Hudibras." Of course, his usage of the phrase is obviously derived from the Biblical passage Proverbs 13:24, "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. Didn't catch that? This explains it." Proponents of physical discipline in particular like to justify their methods by citing that passage. A closer reading, however, reveals that it may not be so straightforward. Of course, by the time of the 1600s and Samuel Butler's poem, use of a rod is going to entail delivering a beating. However, in Biblical times a position of authority within a tribe of Hebrews would have been signified by a scepter or staff. It was the symbol of power. To that end, we could interpret the Biblical passage as similarly symbolic. Loving your son requires the diligence to enact discipline, but this is through the use of the rod. The rod, in this case, could easily mean the symbolic authority of the father. Sparing the rod here would entail failing to use that authority to properly discipline. Considering that other passages in Proverbs were clearly symbolic -23:5 details riches sprouting wings and taking flight- we can safely assume that the 13:24 passage is symbolic, as well. This makes the endorsement for corporal punishment significantly less clear-cut.

Many families eat dinner in front of the television, but this is not a good habit to start. Although plenty of families get by just fine while dining in front of a television, it can have harmful effects in the long run.

First of all, encouraging your family to eat in front of the television can actually cause them to gain weight. Studies have shown that people who eat in front of the television consume much more than those who sit at the table when eating; this is probably because we tend to get distracted by what we are watching and therefore each until we are stuffed.

Also, family meals can be a great bonding time for you and your family. Eating dinner together is a great way to ensure that your entire family is close, even if you are all busy with work, school, sports and other commitments. By making an effort to eat dinner at the table, with no television or other distractions, you can encourage your family to talk about their day and to bond instead of concentrating on the television. If you watch television during meal time on a regular basis, consider turning it off tonight; you might be surprised by the enriching meal that you can enjoy with your family without this distraction.

One issue that many parents have is encouraging their child to go outside and get active instead of sitting on the couch while watching television or playing video games. Although it is a couch potato world, there are ways to encourage your child to be active. To keep your child active, put a restriction on how many hours a day your child can play video games or watch television. Some families do not allow television or video games on weeknights, or you can restrict it to one or two hours a day. The full explanation can be found at http://christinamariespeed.com/2012/07/01/video-game-management/ This will encourage your child to get outside in order to find other things to do. Also, purchase your child toys that encourage activity instead of video games and electronics. Jump ropes, hula hoops, pogo sticks, bicycles and other active toys are slowly being replaced by expensive electronics, but these toys will help your child to be more active; he will have a lot of fun with them as well. You can also encourage your child to play sports. Whether you prefer to play a bit of football, soccer, baseball or basketball with your child in the back yard or if you sign him up for school sports or intramural sports, these activities will help your child to be active.

The best way to teach a child to eat healthy is to start when they are young. There are multiple tips to help a parent encourage their child eat healthy and make good food choices.

Introduce an Array of Foods Early:
The early introduction of an array of healthy foods helps children learn to eat properly. Many children will prefer certain foods over others. The introduction of many different kinds of foods offers a child nutritious options.

Do Not Make Meal Time A Battleground:
Do not force a child to eat something that they dislike. Offer children a well balanced meal. Tell the child they have to try everything and if they do not like a certain food they do not have to eat it. Forcing a child to eat something they hate has the potential to cause lifelong eating issues.

Have Fun With Food:
Make fun shapes with fruits and vegetables. Food that is colorful and looks fun will prompt eating. Adding a healthy dip when serving raw vegetables will offer any picky eater a nutritious choice. Have a child help with the preparation of the meal. This encourages good food choices and the child will desire to eat the meal they had a hand in creating.

When it comes to parenting, one of the things that you have to do is discipline your child. It might not be easy, and it sometimes hurts you as the parent more than the child, but it is something that has to be done. The reason for discipline is to teach respect and obedience. It is not something that should be done because the child is seeking attention. There are a few things that you can do with your child that teaches discipline. A card system is a great way to show your child what they are doing wrong and when they do it. Get a cork board, and place it in the child's room. Index cards of three or four different colors should be displayed on the board. Arrange the cards so that the colors are green, yellow, orange and red. The child should start on green each day. If the child does something they should not do, take the first card down. Each card should have a consequence such as sitting in a corner and placing a toy in a bag. Another idea is the rewards system. If the child listens for a certain number of days during the week, then he or she can choose a prize from a box.