By Sister Carmelina
After getting in trouble for something, a little boy said, “I’m only 5—I don’t know all the rules yet!” Parents have many enjoyable moments in raising their children, especially when the child comes up with those cute comments that take us by surprise. But parents also have those occasions when they have to make difficult decisions about dealing with the less than desirable traits of their children. Correction at an early age is always preferable to allowing them to become headstrong and offensive as they grow up.
Most of us rebelled and didn’t like the discipline that we experienced when our parents had to correct us and even punish us for infractions of ‘the rules’. Looking back, however, we are probably grateful for our parents’ firmness in our formation as we embark on forming our own children.
Mother Luisita’s parents had their hands full with her, their oldest child, because of her tendency to arrogance. When she felt her place in the family is challenged by the birth of twin sisters, she packed her things and informed her parents that she was going to live with her grandmother! Their delicacy helped her to understand that each child in the family was cherished in a unique way. At an older age, as she accompanied her father on a tour of the ranch, she refused to greet the workers. “Luisita, would a smile crack your face?” he asked, and this melted her heart, teaching her a lesson in humility which she never forgot.
Each blessed child of our families is precious, unique and unrepeatable and needs a special approach in their formation. Prayer to Mother Luisita will assist parents in discerning just the right approach for each child.
