Do Children Really Listen

As a mom, I often wonder if my children really listen to me?

If you are like me, or most parents, you find that you repeat yourself, A LOT.  Atleast, I don't think it's just me. Somedays I can say the same thing 1000 times, such as:  you need to sit at the table when you eat, please don't take the nuk from your brother, don't play with the blinds. These are not just said over and over in one day, it is everyday. At times I wonder if they even hear my voice, but I know they are not hard of hearing, just sinners like all of us. I wonder how God feels when we don't listen to him??(Question for another day)

The thing is, they do actually listen to us. Let me give a few examples.

1. If Corbin is asked what the rule in our house is, he will respond "listen and obey"

2. When asked after a timeout, "why did I put you in timeout?", his response is "I did something naughty" and then he is able to tell us what it was.

3. When we are playing and he asks us to stop doing something and we don't, we hear "I have told you many times, please stop!". Does that one sound familiar to you? It sure does to me.

4. He is able to repeat our directions back to us.

So, do they really listen? Absolutely, especially when don't realize it. Then the issue is not so much about them hearing us, it is about obedience. It is about their heart.

Another one of my goals this year is to parent toward heart-change not just external obedience. I want my boys to obey, not with a heart of anger or resentment but with a heart of joy.