I'm the Mean Mom and That's Okay

My kids are friendly...very friendly. They often push me out of my comfort zone by striking up conversation with total strangers out in public. One day as I stood by the deli case purposefully avoiding eye contact, my oldest looked at a woman and said "Hey!" It wasn't a "hey how are you" it was a "hey you over there" kind of hey. You know the one I mean, the tone is totally different almost like you're going to follow up the hey with "hey dummy". I told him "It's not polite to interrupt with Hey, say "Excuse Me" or "Hello" When the woman corrected me and said "He can say Hey, this is Sussex County." As if somehow living where the air constantly wreaks of chicken feces and there are more tractors on the road than hybrids means we can flush social graces down the loo. I fake smiled mentally flicking her in the forehead for undermining my authority in front of my kids and informed her we would still be making an effort to be polite.

I am a pretty easy going Mom, at least I think I am. I let them play in the dirt, sometimes even in their Sunday clothes. I let them pick out their clothes most days, let their hair grow long, and even pee in the yard. But I do not and will not tolerate is disrespect and disobedience and you shouldn't either. My kids are funny, like seriously the oldest one can be downright hysterical at times, but we do not let him use disrespect as humor. I require that they be obedient and thoroughly so.

1 Samuel 15 tells of the disobedience of King Saul and how his rebellion robbed him of his destiny and anointing. He thought he knew better than God, he didn't. Sometimes our kids think they know better than we do, they usually don't. The Old Testament shows us over and over again that obedience brings blessing, and that disrespect and rebellion has consequences.

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and seraphim. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king. 

It is for their destiny that expect obedience for them. I want blessings to fall on them like rain. For them to have a double anointing of what I have had. I rob them of that if I allow them to be disrespectful. If you have a tough willed child like I do this can be hard. I remind him that he is obedient (even when he's not). I reward him and praise him when he is respectful and accurate. And some harsh, legalistic minds would say I am bribing him, but what you are really doing there is showing them in the natural what is happening in the supernatural. Obedience brings blessing. 

The strong willed one is on the left. 

Check your heart, if you are stern because your pride will not allow you to be disrespected than ask God to take that away and to replace it with a desire for your children to be blessed and authentic. Remind yourself I will not rob them of their anointing, by entertaining disrespect. If that makes me a "mean" Mom than that's okay. They're more important than how the Mom's at the playground or your Mother-in-Law sees you.