After weeks of saying, ‘You better watch out! You better not cry! You better not pout!”, I finally did more than tell my kids why. I made good on a my plethora of nagging threats.

No, I didn’t cancel Santa. But I did ground someone. I sent her* to her room without a snack and made her stay there until dinner. (The ‘no snack’ part is legendary at our house.)

I wasn’t being mean or reactive or vindictive. I just wanted her to know the gravity of sin.

And you know what? I’m asking myself why I waited so long! I had the best conversation with her, sitting cross legged on the floor of her room, with her Bible open between us. We talked about fearing God and the rewards of walking in God’s ways. And then, at dinner, my child was singing the praises of my meal! (Hunger will do that to you.) The next morning she was gracious and kind and at breakfast she prayed, “Lord, help me to be loyal to you and to Mom.”

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves...” Maybe that’s true of moms, too. Sometimes ‘grounding’ can be grounded in love.

*Gender may or may not have been changed to protect anonymity.