04.05.14 The 10th Key for Adding Value to Your Child's Life

10. Be Consistent

You may recall how I conveyed earlier, that in my culture, children kneel when greeting their elders. I do therefore remember how I had to consistently and persistently remind my daughters to do that, right from the ‘toddler stage’ through their formative years, until it became a habit. The same applies to table manners and other etiquette.

Regarding Salome and her two sons, she also would have had to consistently insist that they focus on ‘serving others’ rather than fronting their personal egos (Matthew 20:26).

When it comes to adding value to a child’s life, a mother must be consistent. It is a labour of love that takes time, with trials and errors that require patience until you see the fruit of your efforts. Children that are well-brought up will save you from being stressed by their bad manners in society. Let us repeat Proverbs 29:15b here, for emphasis (AMPC): … a child left undisciplined brings his mother to shame. The Message version of the same verse says (MSG): … spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.

Consistency requires that you stick to a given standard, despite all the odds. Some common standards include honesty, accountability, respect, empathy, determination and open communication - where the child can confidently express his or her needs and wants constructively and with mutual respect. However, a child’s conformance to a set standard may be either slow or even resisted. Therefore, be ready to consistently provide the much-needed encouragement and support so that the child does not give up trying. Sooner than later, that standard will become part of his or her second nature.