Isn’t it easy to feel entitled and frustrated when we don’t get our way? How can we combat that attitude with our children and ourselves?
Through Scripture, stories, and praying.
The other day when I walked into my eight-year-old daughter’s bedroom, she was fuming in frustration because “nothing” was going her way.
Her closest friend in school sat just two desks away, yet she spoke about the kid next to her being rude, another kid being mean, and now, for the life of her, she couldn’t get the rubber band around her ponytail just the way she wanted to. A true emergency. I could see smoke coming from her ears. Almost.
I had noticed a trend.
While I want to hear about the bad and good happening in her life, lately, I noticed one complaint after another, blooming grumpiness and ungratefulness.
I sat on my daughter’s bed, tears swelling her eyes. I told her how frustration and anger don’t help, but just make us miserable – to try to focus on giving thanks instead.
But she desperately said, “I can’t help it! I just get so frustrated and mad. I’m so bad at this.”
In that moment, I saw her hurt. I needed to quit preaching and just connect with her.
My mind wandered to Tedd Tripp’s advice at a parenting conference.
He said that when correcting our kids, to get on their level, and let them know that we’re working on the same things – that we are in this together.
So, I looked into her tear-swollen eyes and told her I struggle with the same thing. My daughter looked up at me. She was listening.
I told her that it’s easy for me to complain and pout when I don’t get my way too, but there’s a verse that helps me with that: “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
We had already memorized this verse, so she was familiar with it.
I shared that when my mind jumps to self-pity, I try to thank the Lord for something instead and it changes my mind and heart.
I know there is power in telling stories as Jesus did, so I shared a story with my daughter of a woman who also dealt with the issue of giving thanks. Corrie ten Boom.
This is what I told her…
