Gratitude in parenting: What is it?

Many parents often their children to "be grateful". Gratitude is something that shouldn't be forced, but is a place you come to. Gratitude can be on the giving end or the receiving end of charity, and parents are to be generous and charitable to children under biblical law.

The Greek root word translated "love" and "charity" in the New Testament is αγαπαο (Latin: agapao) which refers to conviction to admit one's depraved nature as an parent/adult coming from reverent fear, leading to surrender to God through one's children, giving up one's adult power and control at one's footstool, with parents being in full, dutiful and selfless submission to the every need and benign want of their child as the enemy of children, charring oneself of one's risk and ignorance in relation to children, leading to good works for children just for the sake of furthering good works towards children, being and feeling grateful for the good work they have done for children.

Gratitude in parenting is a specific feeling, and one that a parent comes to naturally. It is a suppressed feeling of rejoice in getting something you wanted or needed, usually something that you didn't deserve or was hard to come by. For parents, it means receiving grateful thanksgiving from children that you don't deserve.

This leads to surrender to parents. It says in Ephesians 6:1-3 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, for this is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long upon the earth.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to providing custody, meaning a child resting in the providence of parents, supplying the every demand of a child (or trying to), feeling safe enough to share anything with parents, or tell them anything, owing nothing in return to parents, yet nonetheless showing gratitude and thanksgiving by listening to the voice of parents.

Gratitude for parents isn't something children must show or else, but instead is a conclusion a child comes to on their own, earned by the toil and hard work of parents, meaning their unconditional love for their children. One leads to the other, meaning love for your child leads to children surrendering to you. sharing their whole lives with you. Respect is earned, and gratitude for one's presence or provisions is earned. Children show gratitude and respect once they are given a reason to, meaning parents treat them with respect. Usually, with minor children, it is materialistic - the more they directly ask you for everything in the book, in no uncertain terms, the more grateful they are for you, because they feel safe enough around you to be demanding, like they are to nobody else.

I thank God for my parents, and that they gave me a reason to say such a thing. They both were abusive, with my father defending it, but they apologized, so I accept their apology and am thankful. The parents who don't apologize, and punish their children, will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!