Simple, practical, and gentle—these methods can help lay the foundation for future obedience in your child. Starting from as early as 6 months, you can begin this process and you will be glad you did.  Parents can typically start as soon as their child understands the word no, typically well before a year. The ideal time to start may be when your child begins to crawl and he is able to reach off limit items. Child-rearing is not only easier on you, when begun early, but on your child as well.

 After you tell your child no, it’s important to teach them how to obey you, even if it means physically moving the child away from what they cannot have or do. If obedience means, not touching something, then physically remove your child’s hand from the object and tell him no. No need to explain why the child cannot have a particular object or do a certain action, as small children do not yet understand logic or reasoning. Using simple commands and actions provides clearer communication for your child to understand.

 Do your kids need to be respectful and cooperative? Yes, absolutely! Kids grow up that way when we listen to their thoughts, treat them with respect, and invite cooperation by working together on solutions.

I understand that disciplining children is a process. And, I continue to encourage their creativity. Using Yah’s Manna™ is a way to encourage creativity.  They can read the bible stories, learn the Fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience and kindness just to name a few. 

When your child questions your authority on something, Its best to get down to their level, acknowledge their concern, and explain as simply as possible why a given expectation exists.  Engraining the fruits of the spirit in our little ones is crucial.  Using Yah’s Manna™ plates to the children to teach them the different stories that show how to love, have joy, be peaceful and have patience is a great way for it to stick in their minds.

As you may already suspect, this is not a "once-a-day-around-the-table" approach to building godly character. Having kids of integrity starts with a solid foundation.  Being mindful and having kid-captivating experiences that can take place in the car, in the park or wherever you happen to be. The goal is to bring Christ into every aspect of your family's life and make spiritual formation an integral part of your children's daily routine.