Family Friday: Embarrassed

Embarrassed!

          Everyone detests being embarrassed.   Children, teens and adults usually react to embarrassment with the wrong attitude, and those reactions can make an already awkward situation become worse.  Check your parenting style: do you discipline your children in public where they are more likely to be embarrassed, or do you handle matters in private?

          Many times our children learn by example.  Whether you realize it or not, your children are watching your reactions to situations and will mimic you.  How do you respond to embarrassing situations? Maybe you need to take a little time to examine if your reactions are Biblical.  If an incident happens, talk privately to your children and conduct a little training in how to act if they are publicly embarrassed.  Your children may be on their way to being young adults, but they will not learn proper reactions if they are not taught!

          Another aspect of these thoughts is our reason for discipline.  If we are ashamed of our children’s actions, sometimes our sin nature wants them to be shamed in return; this is not a Godly reaction!  All matters should be handled with the same routine in which you normally discipline.  Do not “go off the deep end” because you are embarrassed at your children’s actions.  God is always righteous and fair in His discipline; strive to be that way in your discipline as well.