Ephesians 6:4 Do not provoke your children to anger
Colossians 3:21 Do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
1) Parental Problems
- Lack of marital harmony
- Divided authority
Kids are exasperated when Dad and Mom have different rules and different methods of discipline.
That kind of divided authority exasperates children and tempts them to manipulate their parents.
- Child-centred parenting
Children instinctively understand that they are not the centre of the home, and they are never happy when they are.
- Hypocrisy or double standards
- Allowing manipulation
Children are exasperated and unsettled when they are allowed to manipulate their parents.
2) Discipline
- Inconsistent discipline
- Over-discipline or under-discipline
To keep from provoking children, rules should be few, simple, and consistently enforced.
- Disciplining in anger
- Ending discipline on a negative note
- Unjust hidings