Watch your mouth, kid, or you're gonna find yourself floating home.

Recently I've seen 2 little boys in public in need of a trip to the woodshed. One was rock throwing boy who wouldn't heed my admonitions and his parents were surprisingly apathetic.

Today there was a similar sort--the pusher, the taker of toys ... you know, the bully that every parent dreads seeing on the playground.

His mom finally made an attempt by sternly saying, "Sit here, 2 minutes." He defiantly said, "No!" and proceed to get up. This cycle was comical to watch on one hand, but a pathetic display of a child in need of discipline.

It reminded me of Douglas Wilson's 7 “musts” about discipline, though I can't recall where I found them.

1. Discipline must be confident. (Prov 22:15) “…The word confident literally means ‘with faith.’ Your children must be disciplined in faith, through faith, and from faith…”

2. Discipline must be affectionate. (Heb. 12:5-6) “A man who refuses to discipline his son is, in effect, disinheriting him. This rejection, or hatred, is utterly contrary to the attitude Christian parents are to have toward their children. Affectionate discipline gives the children something to return to after repentance.”

3. Discipline must be judicial. (Gal. 1:6) “Discipline must begin with self-discipline.”

4. Discipline must be swift. (Gal. 6:7) “… a godly father should remember he is not just exercising the principle, he is teaching the principle to young minds. Consequently, the time between sowing and reaping should be as short as possible. Even the youngest infant understands causation at some level, but the younger the child the more immediately he should be disciplined.”

5. Discipline must be painful. (Heb 12:11) “If the discipline is not painful, then it does not qualify as discipline…The pain involved in godly discipline is both positive and negative. Swift, painful discipline does not mean the father is to be an ogre but just the reverse…A man who is incapable of lovingly encouraging his children after discipline in not qualified to exercise any discipline at all. The encouragement must include follow up instruction… It should also include prayer. God is present and working through discipline, and His presence should be acknowledged. The child should be assured of forgiveness. The breach of fellowship is now gone. As a result, there has been restoration of fellowship. A father should take special care to be warm and cheerful after discipline.”
6. Discipline must be effective. (Heb. 12:11b)

7. Discipline must reflect biblical standards. “(a father) must not confuse house rules with God’s rules… God does not require that little kids keep their feet off the couch. This is a house rule. God does require that children obey their parents. This is God’s rule. And that is why they must keep their feet off the couch.”