Wow... so glad I did not grow up in your families. I do not always tell my kids why but their IS always a good reason. I do not run a dictatorship because that is not how I feel God runs the world. But, I know I do things differently from most people. By the way my kids are insanely well behaved... except maybe the one year old b/c she is 1!
Many years ago, I came to the conclusion that God does not make make mistakes about which children are sent to which parents. That's not to say parents don't make mistakes...that's to say that I believe there's a reason you aren't in my family, and there's a reason (a good one) that my children were sent to my family and not yours. I had a reason. A good reason. As a matter of fact, a very good reason. A reason I did not share here because it was irrelevant to my question, which was how to deal with the response from well-meaning but misguided interfering adults. Frankly, I resent your continued attitude that I had no reason. Or at least, no good reason. I don't understand why you feel a need to persist on this point...or how it's even relevant to my original question. Everyone has to do what works in their family. No one else knows your family the way you do, and I wouldn't second guess your (or any other parent's) decisions. You are entitled, I would say even responsible, to handle your situations as best you see fit. But I am somewhat perplexed why you have continued to harp that those of us who find ourselves in a different place are less than adequate parents. Not sure why you thought you needed to say this...but I hope you feel better. I respectfully request that, at this point, we try and stick with my original question - what to do when (perhaps better wording is how to handle) another, non-relative, adult attempts to intervene between me and my children.
I understand you wanting to stick with your original question and I agree with everything you put in your last post, but was wondering if you worded your first sentence right. God makes no mistakes. Is that what you meant?
Oy! So much for proofreading (which I did, believe it or not!). Thanks for the sharp eyes and pointing it out. I made the correction.
Just would have wanted someone to point it out to me if I made the mistake. Glad that's not what you meant.
Excuse me? I don't mind you disagreeing, and I don't particularly mind your comment about not growing up in my family. It sounds like something I might have said, but I would have told you I was teasing by putting a smiley. And I've no doubt your kids are well behaved, and expect that even your 1yo is probably better behaved than many I've known. I don't run a dictatorship, but I DO expect obedience, whether they understand it or not. And, while God doesn't run a dictatorship, he DOES require blind obedience. If a child cannot display that to a parent that CAN be seen, how can you expect them to display it to God? Do you tell God that you will only obey what you understand? Or do you trust Him to know what's best for you, without explanations? Because I can tell you, God rarely shares his reasons with me. Does that mean I cannot trust that they exist? Sometimes I say no for no other reason than a "feeling" that something's not right. But I do NOT say no just to say no, and I sure don't say it just to be mean to my child.
