We are very disappointed when we discover that our child has engaged in some sort of deception. One of the most difficult aspects of parenting is knowing that we see an undesirable trait in our children, understanding that the source of the problem is in the child’s inherent sin nature- but the second place to look is in ourselves as parents.
Have we modeled honesty and inspired trust in our children by our own actions?
How many times have we promised rewards and incentives, only to renege at the last minute because we were tired, our finances were strained, or something else came up? Do we then excuse our broken word as, “That’s life- deal with it”?
Of course life happens- but if we view our behavior through the eyes of inexperienced and immature children, repeated betrayals sow distrust and resentment. We will not reap dependability and honesty if we are thoughtlessly planting hypocrisy and repeated equivocation.
If we use the promise of reward to inspire and motivate our kids, we need to be faithful to follow through and keep our word.
