GOYBP

Very recently I was reading a webpage on parenting. The website focused on GOYBP or Get Off Your Butt Parenting. I have been struggling with the way that I want to teach RJ to be obedient to us as their parents. He is currently discovering certain boundaries. It is hard and there have been tears, but some things are just not okay to do. Other things are still not ok, but are not going to cause any bodily harm, and so I am more lax in my consistency with him. Some of these things have caused me a great amount of frustration as he does them over and over and over again. And now I think I know why: it's because of my inconsistencies with those particular things. According to the website it says:

"Happily, it’s possible and indeed imperative that we teach our children to obey without resorting to spanking or other punishment. Even if we chose to reserve punishment as an option in our home, we can not spank or punish our child for every misbehavior. We need tools that work in the absence of punishment. It’s my experience that it’s not the spanking or time out that teaches. It’s the absolute consistency and parental involvement. GOYBP provides both of those key elements.

Get Off Your Butt Parenting is a simple, straightforward and effective way of teaching your child that you mean what you say. Indeed, it is what we try to teach when we consider spanking our children; that when we say something, we mean it."

This type of parenting seems to hit a cord with me. It is followed by the Do's and Don'ts:

GOYBP Do’s:

1) Say “it” once. Issue the command, once.
2) Follow “it” up with related action, moving the child into compliance.

GOYBP Don’ts:

1) Don’t repeat yourself.
2) Don’t tag your commands with a “please”.
3) Don’t say your child’s name over and over with an implied threat of punishment.

As I was pondering these thoughts, I came upon this scripture:

Moses 4:30

"For as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my ^awords cannot return void, for as they go forth out of my mouth they must be fulfilled."

When God says something, he means it. So, I must learn how to say something, and mean it. Which also means I need to watch what I say because I do not want to say something that I can not follow through with. Learning how to be obedient is a big job for a child. I don't want to make it more complicated for him to learn by not doing what I say, whether it's a command for him to follow or a promise I make to him. In order for him to understand my communication, he needs to see action. Then through my communication and action, he will gain an understanding of the Do's and Don'ts of life.