Consistency

I think one of the hardest things about being a parent is being consistent with your children.  I know for me it's like I go through these stages where I'm really consistent for a while and then gradually I slide right back into lazy parenting.  Parenting takes work and lots of it.  It's not a part time job that you can do sometimes and then other times you just checkout.  It is a total mind, body and soul, 24/7 job.  Throw into that the rest of your life and it can get pretty hectic.

Not only am I a parent but I have also taken on the role of teacher, among other things.  I homeschool our two boys which has turned out to be a true joy and a challenge at times.  One of my biggest challenges lately has been getting them to focus on their work and not want to talk to each other constantly about other things, like computer games for example.  So this week I have really been trying hard to be consistent with them on their punishment if they don't stay focused.  One thing I have done is remind them that school time is school time.  When they enter the "classroom" the rest of the world stays outside.  If they start talking about, say Starcraft, then they lose Starcraft for the day.  Now normally after school is all done and they have completed their daily chores they would get to have one hour of EPT(electronic playtime).  So you see how this is a good incentive.  This seems to be working well and I am hoping I can stick with it.

When it comes to parenting and teaching it is important to be organized and have a routine.  However, the most important part is to be flexible, have a tremendous amount of patience and pray a lot.