The Day I Hit My Kids

I hit my kids today.

Before you judge me, you need to know how bad my circumstances were.  I was up all night.  Sleep deprivation is never really good for me.  I couldn’t get going.   With the kids being sick, the house got messy really quickly.  Laundry is behind, dishes weren’t getting done.  Nothing was going right.

I know how a good day ought to go.  There are days where I am in the zone.  But today, I couldn’t get my will up to speed, and then I felt guilty for being such a bad mother.

One of my kids came to me in tears.  There has been a lack of joy in her for months now.  She recalled some instances where she lied a couple of times (um, like three years ago.) We’ve talked about it, and she has asked forgiveness and sought restitution where she needed too.  But the fact that she could do such a terrible thing keeps nagging her.  She won’t stop thinking about it.

Is this the time when a parent should yell at her kid?  Does a parent tell the kids how awful they are for sinning when they feel bad for sinning?  No…I knew what was going on.  It was the same problem I was having for the day.

So I gathered some stuffed animals and threw them at all the kids.  I tried to find the most evil-looking ones I could.  There were a few flying rabbits that the kids were able to dodge, but I managed to find their weak spots and hit them from behind when they weren’t looking.  Then I took my son’s Hulk Hogan punching glove, and pinned the sad little girl down, punching and coaching her until she finally figured out what to do.

“What do you do kids, when Satan throws accusations and insults at you?  Are you going to stand there and let him condemn you?”

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast your burdens on Jesus, for He cares for you.”  We didn’t stop the “game” until the kids threw the weapons back and I showed them how Jesus nailed their sins on the cross to stay.

So parents, if you feel like you are going to beat your children, take your best shots with a Gospel-driven soft and squishy toy that does no harm.  Now that our household remembers “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” and we have gotten plenty of physical exercise, we can resume our day with happiness and productivity.