Disciplining Your Kids with Grace

It wasn’t the first time that Karis Kimmel Murray was confronted with how to discipline her young daughter, Riley, properly, but it was one of the more memorable.

At the end of a shopping trip at Walmart, Karis stopped by the shoe aisle for a new pair of flip-flops. Her daughter decided she’d sat patiently in the cart long enough. Karis allowed Riley down, but Riley didn’t just want out of the cart, she wanted out of the store … and Karis stood between her and that goal.

That’s when Riley expressed her displeasure. She stood at one end of the shoe aisle, stretched her arms out wide, and then walked down the aisle, knocking off every box of shoes within reach down both sides.

Mom and Dad, can you relate? What would you do?

Handle that situation one way, and it’s punishment. Handle it another way, and it’s discipline. What’s the difference?

Karis Kimmel Murray is with us to share that story and others to demonstrating how to discipline your children with grace.

Grace is important to good parenting. It’s how God approaches His relationship with us. When God disciplines us, He’s doing it for our good. It’s not about punishment. It’s not about vindictiveness or anger. The grace-based approach is taken out of love for the other person.

Josh McDowell said, “Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.” Dr. Tim Kimmel, Karis’s father, says, “A relationship without rules leads to resentment.”

If you don’t have boundaries with your children, they won’t be adequately prepared to be productive adults who understand how to respond to authority, how to follow rules, and how to live with self-discipline.

The trick is to strike a healthy balance between your rules, your child’s obedience, and your relationship with your child. Karis will share practical tips for finding that balance and for responding appropriately when your child misbehaves, on “Disciplining Your Kids with Grace.” Join us on your local radio station, online, on iTunes, via Podcast, or take us with you on our free phone app.

Karis’ book Grace Based Discipline: How to Be at Your Best When Your Kids Are at Their Worst is available in our online store.