When are children grateful? (why not to force gratitude)

Parents in this country generally want their children to be grateful. The idea is, however, "make them feel grateful". This includes forcing children to clean their plate, and eat everything on their plate. This has no bearing on whether children are grateful, as the stomach stops eating the moment it tires of absorbing food.

Are you grateful for your child? Every single adult is guilty for their mere existence in relation to children, leading to being struck with terror, then convicted to surrender to God through one's child, giving up one's adult power and control in relation to children, leading to sacrifice for one's children just as Christ sacrificed for His children, symbolically taking up the cross, rendering oneself beneath one's children, devaluing oneself as their caregiver and servant, leading to good works and selfless acts of service towards children, expecting absolutely nothing in relation to children, being and feeling grateful for the fruit of one's labor and toil as a parent. This Christian love, as denoted by the Greek root word αγαπαο (Latin: agapao) and refers to good works for children for the sake of good works, and the conviction that comes with it. The results are spectacular! It says in Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things, as this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they become discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to providing custody, or the secure, vulnerable trust and rest in the love and grace of parents, with parents supplying the every demand of a child, with children being able to be themselves, telling parents anything and everything under the sun, owing absolutely nothing in return to parents, yet nonetheless with children showing gratitude and thanksgiving for their kindness and respect by way of emulating the parent's example and teachings. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and literally translates to "stirring up" anger and upset in children, referring to the Greek adage of "stirring the pot", which literally literally refers to the offenses under the legal context of the Bible, under the Eighth Commandment, referring to the assault and battery laws that protected children as well as adults under Jewish and Christian law. Basically, the slightest of offense perceived by the child, when coming from entitlement, is abuse. Anything perceived as entitlement by a child objectively is, until an apology is given, including by way of reflective listening and reassurance of the child's upset. 

Gratitude, on the part of children, involves indulgence in the providence of parents, meaning they keep asking and asking, in increasingly demanding ways, and this is because they feel safe around you as a parent, and want more and more because they feel safe with getting more and more, and then feel reassured in your limits, like just "going along with it", or having one's demands being nudged back into acceptable territory. Generally, children, as they get older in this setup, become less demanding, and more grateful in the sense that they are happy for everything their parents give them, and ask for nothing in return. Why? You are older, and don't want to burden your parents, merely out of courtesy and not out of fear of punishment, and that's when children start to love parents, which actually isn't a command anywhere.

Children in the biblical context were grateful in the sense that nearly everything they asked for, they got, to varying degrees of compromise, particularly with mothers. The relationship between parent and child then was selfless on the part of the parent, and pro-social selfish on the part of the child. The biblical idea of surrender to parents is children embracing their selfish nature to milk off of parents their every vulnerable need, and that was taken quite literally in ancient Israel and adjoining churches, meaning children were breastfed until age 3. Children almost never left their mother's line of eyesight, or earshot, and children in collective homeschools (which was the educational norm then - which I support now) literally jumped with joy when they were seen with their mother. Insults to one's mother was a peer insult of the worst degree, meaning it was taken personally in the exchange. The idea behind respecting parents is respecting them enough to criticize them, perhaps sharply, and then the parents respect the child later, regardless of age or level of criticism.

The depraved and entitled parents will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them rot and descent into everlasting Hell-fire, which is the lake of fire, which is the second death, which is Satan's final resting place! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!