If the word “discipline” makes you feel confused, discouraged, or even defeated, you’re not alone! As our children transition from sweet, snuggly babies into tantrum-throwing toddlers, we can see that they need discipline, but knowing how to discipline is a different matter. We may wonder whether there’s a “right” way or a “Christian” way to discipline. We may even find ourselves wishing someone would just give us a cheat sheet with all the answers! In this episode, Emily shares some of her experience trying to make sense of discipline. Although there’s no clear-cut system to fix all of our discipline struggles, she helps us think about discipline through the lens of scripture and discusses seven practical things we can do when we don’t know how to discipline.

There’s no formula for raising godly children. Instead, we follow the Christ’s example by offering our kids God’s expectations and grace as we disciple them. In this episode, Emily and Laura interview Elyse Fitzpatrick about faithfulness in the early years of motherhood. Elyse isa wife, mom, and prolific author of many books that apply gospel truths to daily life. While we’re called to faithfully nurture, train, and discipline our children according to God’s word, only Jesus can transform their hearts and teach them to love his design. Let’s give our kids the greatest example of faith by being sinners who run to Jesus with them.

Before we've even grown comfortable in the role of motherhood, it starts...the fall-to-the-floor tantrums, the food throwing, the back-talking, the hitting, and even the selective hearing. Suddenly, we're faced with the the reality that our children are sinners, and moreso, that God has given us the authority to do something about it! With a sea of opinions and resources, it's easy to just feel paralyzed. In this episode, Emily and Laura give an overview of discipline in the early years, especially focusing on using it as a tool to communicate the gospel.  Discipline will play out differently in each family, but the goal is the same: pointing our sinful children to their desperate need for the perfect Savior.