CONTENTION

Do you have days that you are just ready to pull out your hair? You want to run away and never come back? You want to give your kids to the first person you see on the street? You feel if the kids don't stop fighting with one another, you'll lose your mind? I hate to admit it, but I certainly had these feelings as I raised my children. No matter how hard we tried to foster a feeling of love in our home, no matter how often we played soothing music, no matter how we tried to reward our kids for positive behavior, there were days when the contention between the kids would drive me to the brink of insanity. I'm sorry to say my behavior wouldn't always bring peace and quiet.

Sometimes it's really hard to be cool, calm, and collected when the kids are fighting, yelling, crying, teasing. Our daughter found a little trick that worked quite well with her kids. I'd like to pass it along. When she had to separate her kids, part of their time-out was spent in memorizing or reciting the following scripture:

3 Nephi 11:29, "FOR VERILY, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, HE THAT HATH THE SPIRIT OF CONTENTION IS NOT OF ME, BUT IS OF THE DEVIL, WHO IS THE FATHER OF CONTENTION, AND HE STIRRETH UP THE HEARTS OF MEN TO CONTEND WITH ANGER, ONE WITH ANOTHER."

In order to end their time-out, the kids had to tell her what the scripture meant and they soon admitted they had been inviting the devil into their home. After awhile she could just ask who among them had let the devil in. It often diffused the tention.

Just a suggestion!

Love, Kathi



"FOR VERILY, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, HE THAT HATH THE SPIRIT OF CONTENTION IS NOT OF ME, BUT IS OF THE DEVIL, WHO IS THE FATHER OF CONTENTION, AND HE STIRRETH UP THE HEARTS OF MEN TO CONTEND WITH ANGER, ONE WITH ANOTHER." 3 Nephi ll:29