Consequences

A couple of days ago, our oldest son and daughter went for a little bike ride, although I had no clue about it. I stepped outside to ask our youngest son where they were. He pointed in the direction they went in, saying that they went to see if their friends were home. He wasn't quite finished saying that when I saw our son on his way home.
I leaned back on the railing of the stairs and crossed my arms. He stopped in front of me and said, "What?" "That's what I was wondering." I said. He instantly knew he was in trouble. I proceeded to say, "Did you leave your sister by herself?", "uhhhhhhh...." just then, you could see her coming from behind the trees on her bicycle. Needless to say, our son looked relieved.
I had to discipline them, but what method was I going to use. These children are 9 and 7, they knew the rule of not leaving the yard without asking.
Since the carrot that was dangled in front of them was their "friends", I decided to not allow them to play with their friends that day, and they could not leave the yard for the rest of the week.
School had just gotten out and the children were starting to show up in the neighbourhood.
The city has a public park in the back of our yard so the children usually congregate there and today was no exception.
Our youngest son and daughter asked to go to the park and I let them, the two older children just stood at the wired fence watching their friends play with their younger siblings. It was pitiful to watch. Our daughter leaned on the fence with her fingers clinched in the diamond shape design the wires made, and our son just stood with his bike, looking over at the park. They looked so sad.
I watched from the back door, tempted to let them go play with their friends and siblings when, the Lord reminded me that children need to understand that there are consequences to sin. This is the reason society is in the state it is in today. People are not accountable to God anymore.
I pulled back from the door and went back to my housework when our oldest son came in all discouraged. He said, "Man, I wish I wouldn't of disobeyed." I praised God for helping him understand the consequence of sin.
My kids did not become perfect after that, they've been disciplined since but I praise God that they have a better chance of growing up to respect the law of "sin and consequence". I pray daily that God will give them discernment and sensitivity to the paths that lead to destruction.
I often tell the children that adults are not exempt from consequences and neither will they when they grow up.
Other than the bible for clear instruction of child rearing, "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Ted Tripp, it is also excellent, I highly recommend them both.