photo courtesy of stockfreeimages.com
I believe that all parents MUST hit their kiddos with a velvet covered brick!
Nope!! I didn’t studder. You heard me right.
As a matter of fact, let me say it one more time…
I believe that all parents MUST hit their kiddos with a velvet covered brick!
- When your kids fail
- When your kids are dishonest
- When your kids talk back to mom
- When your kids are too cool for school
- When your kids make ridiculous, flat out stupid decisions
- When your kids are lazy and don’t want to help around the house
These are the times that parents need to stop, collaborate and listen…
And ask their Heavenly Father…
“Lord, does my son need a brick today”
or
“Lord, does my daughter need velvet today”
So this brings us to the whole…what’s brick and what’s velvet?
THE BRICK IS: The honest, unfiltered, tell it like it is, hard hitting truth about our kids behavior.
THE VELVET IS: The art of recognizing our kids jacked up behavior, but choosing grace over consequences. (read THIS example)
And our job as parents is to take the time to discern what our kids’ hearts need.
For example…
My youngest son, The Jackhammer, came to me last week and can I just say that he was super hacked off! He felt like I wasn’t listening to him, he felt like I favored his bro & sis over him and he decided that he was done with the “injustice.” So how did I respond? I picked up my brick, went into my Major League pitcher wind up mode and just before I threw the brick…God showed up, spoke and I recognized that the The Jackhammer desperately needed velvet NOT a brick.
Example #2
My oldest son, ColeTrain, came to me last week and he was wining, complaining, blah, blah, blah! You know the whole Jr. High deal. So how did I respond? I picked up my brick, went into my wind up and smacked him right in the heart with my brick. Why? Because Mr. ColeTrain Spradlin needed a freakin brick! To which he later thanked me for throwing!! THANK YOU GOD FOR SHOWING UP!
Mom and Dad…please don’t react out of anger, laziness, frustration or exhaustion.
Stop.
Collaborate.
Listen.
& ask God…
“Lord, does my son need a brick today”
or
“Lord, does my daughter need velvet today”
**I wish I had come up with this concept of The Velvet Covered Brick, but this creative concept came from Dr. Tim Elmore. You should check out his site HERE.
PARENTS…
Do you typically throw velvet or do you typically throw a brick? Leave a comment and share your story.
Would you like to receive EpicParent’s newest posts by email? If so, click HERE or to add it to your reader click HERE.
