Do you have to keep repeating yourself?

WHET & REPEAT Parenting

an article by Craig:

 

A Whestone For Sharpening

Do you ever feel like a broken record...wait...a broken CD? Never mind, that illustration can be lost on a generation or two. Let me put it this way, have you ever felt like you have to keep repeating yourself to your children to either get them to listen or get them to do something? Well, as it turns out, it’s our job. Here’s an example all parents may be able to relate to. “Hey everyone, we’re leaving now. Please turn off all the lights. Thank you.” Then, when you return home the lights that were “turned off” miraculously resurrected to “on” again. So, as parents we find ourselves saying, “Can you please turn off the lights, turn off the lights, turn off the lights, turn off the lights...

The reminders may be different in your home. But they are reminders none the less. It could be “take out the trash, take out the trash, take out the trash or turn off the video game, turn off the video game, turn off the video game.” Whatever it may be we have all had these conversations...repeatedly. As it turns out, it’s our parental responsibility and it goes way beyond the illustrations I just gave you. We find this responsibility in the verses we have all come to know in Deuteronomy chapter 6:5-7.

And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NLT

Depending on your translation the word “repeat” can also be “teach” or “impress” but most translate it “repeat.” Now the word repeat, uhhh, means continual, frequent, again and again. To belabor the point, hammer home, beat a dead horse into the ground. You get the idea. What you may not know is that word repeat means to “whet.”

No, not “Wet” but “Whet.” To whet means to sharpen any instrument, usually a knife, which is done by repeated friction or grinding. Does that sound parentally familiar? Our kids don’t learn or make healthy change or choices by saying or modeling something to them once. How nice would that be? It’s a constant reminder. One pass of a knife’s blade over the sharpening stone doesn't make it sharp. You must repeatedly run the blade with consistent even pressure across the sharpening stone. The repeated passing of the blade over the stone makes the knife or tool sharp. So as you sharpen this week here are a few reminders from, of all places, a book on how to sharpen a knife. As it turns out they’re pretty good principles for sharpening our kids as well.

1. Completely Follow Through (Don’t Stop Half Way)
2. Continue The Process (Not Just One Pass Over The Sharpening Stone)
3. Consistent and Even Pressure (Avoid Extremes While Sharpening)