Don't Make Me Count to Three (Part 3)

"Don't make me count to three!" "You just wait till your daddy gets home!" "You don't want me to come in there!" "Do you want a spanking?" "If you don't straighten up, you're going to get it."
Sound familiar? No matter how you phrase them, these types of statements all have one thing in common: They aid parents in avoiding discipline issues.
All parents want their children to obey, yet fail to get obedience. Some threaten. Some bribe. Some use "time out". Others simply ignore acts of disobedience. Could it be that parents avoid these issues because they are uncertain of how to handle them?
..Ginger Plowman, Preface to Don't Make Me Count to Three

Worldly Technique: Counting

There are those parents who say, "If you don't do this by the time I count to three, you're going to get it, Mister!" They count: "One" ... the child doesn't move; "Two" ... the child still doesn't move; "Two and a half" ... and so it goes. Children will rise to the standard that the parents set. If you don't expect your child to obey until the count of three, then he will not obey until you count. Why not expect instant obedience? This standard leaves no room for question or confusion. It's much easier and much more peaceful. If my child is stepping off the curb into a busy street, I don't want to have to count to three in order for him to obey.

Most importantly, we are training them and preparing them to obey Jesus. Parents are often responsible for the habits of their children. We want them to be in the habit of obeying us the first time so that when they surrender to the Lordship of Christ they will find it easier to obey Him the first time. So before you begin your count to three, ask yourself, "Do I want my child the be in the habit of obeying God the first time, the second time, or the third time?"

(taken from Chapter 11 of "Don't Make Me Count to Three")

Tonya