Gratitude in parenting: Why parents should be grateful for their children this Christmas season

Many parents demand gratitude from their children, yet show none to their children. Most parents in America are ingrates who hate their children while claiming to love them. This Christmas season is about family and gratitude, and this includes gratitude for your child.

It says in Ephesians 6:1-4 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 is may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long upon the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to a certain standard of Christian discipline in parents in relation to children. Parents are entitled to nothing from children, and are to be grateful for everything in relation to children. Children owe nothing to parents, and parents owe everything to children, leading to a chastened up example in relation to children, with parents modeling discipline in a way that exemplifies Christ and His Sacrifice for His children. Gratitude is something that comes from discipline and self-control in parents, meaning the more deprive yourself as a parent, the more you notice what you already have, and the more you notice who your children are in terms of their identity and worldview. This is weighed by the Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers to provocations to anger, meaning any and all offenses against children, with "offense" being defined as the slightest of offense perceived by the child. This included, by the intent of the Apostle Paul, any punitive parenting, including physical and other forms of punishment.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to trust in parents. Replace "obey" with "trust" and you come to a slightly better translation. However, this is a special type of trust that is borne out of maternal warmth and trust. This is an open and honest form of trust where you can tell parents anything and everything under the sun, and not expect any punishment or reprisal in return, even with taboo topics related to sexuality and such. Parenting in biblical times was attachment-based in nature, meaning attachment parenting was the norm then. Children went in the nude all of the time, and that was so mothers could nourish their children with skin-to-skin closeness. Children were swaddled close to mothers with swaddling bands, nude and in complete closeness with mothers. Children turned out to be grateful for their parents, wanting nothing in return from parents, honoring them by following their instructions in tag-along format, attached at the hip to parents even into adulthood. 

Parents are to be grateful for their children. Gratitude is being happy with who or what you have, and asking for nothing in return. Parents are to serve their children's needs and interests, and ask for nothing in return to children. This sort of gratitude comes from discipline in relation to children, serving children in an attendant manner, whilst not demanding any respect in return. Parents are to be meek and shamefaced in relation to the tantrums and tirades of their children, expecting absolutely nothing in return in one's attitudes or actions, chastening up themselves in relation to children. Think "Silent Night". That is the general connotations one can associate with all parenting in biblical times. Only, Christ was a perfect child with religious genius, whereas other children played wildly and demanded things from parents. Parents had to be grateful and provide without demanding respect from children in the process. Parents should be disciplined and chastened up in relation to children, in order to provide a good, disciplined example to children.

The depraved and entitled parents will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven! Let them burn in the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into everlasting fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath for all eternity! America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values, and it is within our values as a nation to prohibit all corporal punishment and promote attachment parenting as the objective form of parenting in this nation. We are becoming more aware of our values as attachment parenting, the way it was done in ancient Israel, spreads throughout the land. We are progressing as a nation in understanding our values. Let us reflect on that this Christmas season, and let us reflect on the marginalization and oppression of our fellow Americans who are children under age 18. Let the depraved and entitled adults burn in Hell and torment!