Back talk: Why parents should apologize to their children when they talk back

Many parents have had to deal with it from time to time. A child being defiant to the limits set by parents. This is a common motive for parents spanking or punishing their children. The fact of the matter is that back talk happens when a child cannot accept a set limit. This means that parents should apologize for hurting their child's feelings. In fact, failure to apologize to a child that you upset can be child abuse.

God's Law on child abuse is stated in Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. The key to not abusing your child is to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults - be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt the feelings of another. One form of hurt feelings in children is back talk. Whenever a child talks back, you should be willing to give a reassurance of good intent. However, if you ever react to back talk out of haste or anger, you should definitely give a formal apology for losing your cool, with you then committing to never losing your cool with child ever again, as losing your cool alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

Sometimes, a limit has to be set in order for the child to be safe. However, much of the time, children cannot accept limits, and this is what motivates back talk in children. The idea is to apologize to your child any time that they cannot accept a limit, usually with this apology coming in the form of a reassurance of good intent. However, if a parent loses their cool with their children, they should give a formal apology, and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!