Consistency means doing the same thing over and over; it means that the same action receives the same reaction, over and over. And, it means you get tired. Sometimes discouraged when you are being consistent but not seeing the results. Which is why I want to share this with you...IF you can keep on training those toddlers even when you don't see immediate results, you will benefit later. I am sure you have heard that before, but it is easy to get weary of disciplining when we don't see change come. We live in a society that embraces and promotes everything "instant" and that is one thing parenting is not! We have to be like the tortoise and not the hare - it is slow and steady that will "win" this race of parenting.
What are times for consistency? Almost all times - the highchair is a perfect opportunity to be consistent. For example, if young Bobby decides to toss his crackers on the floor, he needs to be corrected and told no. We all know what comes next - he will try it again...WHY? Because toddlers are all about cause and effect - both in experimental ways like tossing crackers but also in practical ways, like whether mom is going to tell me no again. I have read some pretty crazy theories that tell moms to let their babies and toddlers throw food as it teaches them the law of gravity - give me a break! There are a million ways that our toddlers will learn about the law of gravity while NOT in their highchair - that does not need to be discovered there. Don't give up on consistency!
Another great opportunity for consistency, is bedtime. Once that little person has graduated from their crib into a toddler bed (ours were right around their 2nd birthday), they are ready to learn that they need to stay in their bed until they are allowed to get up. What does that look like? With each of our children (with many thanks to the Ezzo's books), we told them that they were not allowed to get out of their beds once they were put there. That meant if they needed to go to the bathroom or get a drink, they had to call us and ask. Or when they woke up in the morning, I savoured the sweet sounds floating down the hall of, "Mommy, can I get up now?". It also meant that if we came down the hallway and saw them sneaking a book, it required that we followed up immediately with disciplining for the disobedience - every time! That is where consistency comes in again.
Depending on the strength of the will, with each child, it will be different how many times your consistency will be tested - but be assured, it will. And as much as we don't enjoy disciplining it is our job as mothers. Not an optional one, but one of the most important ones. Yes, it is tiring! Yes, it feels like it is not working! Yes, it is very often not convenient! But it is invaluable to us and to our children.
Remember, the goal of training good behaviour into our children is not so people will be impressed that they know how to obey. It is so that as they grow and mature, they are able to be a light and example to others of the Lord Jesus living in their lives. It is also so that when God speaks to their hearts, they are not bent on arguing or seeing if they feel like obeying - they will do what God asks because they have learned obedience is the best way, because of the consistency of their parents.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well."
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