If you have read the marriage book Love & Respect or listened to Dr. Emerson Eggerichs you are probably familiar with the “Crazy Cycle”. Just as there is a “Crazy Cycle” with husbands and wives; where lack of love can cause lack of respect and this disrespect results in loveless responses which just spirals downward as one remains in the cycle, so also it can happen with parenting.
When you think of your family dynamics do you recall journeys into the “Family Crazy Cycle” and how you got out? A young mother shared that things had been truly crazy with her 3 kids earlier that day, and finally she asked her nine year old son, one of the offenders, “Do you want to meet Jesus?” Before he could answer, she added “Because if you don’t stop this, you are going to see Him right now!” This is an example of the frustration level parents can get to when stuck in the “Crazy Cycle”. When you sense your family entering the crazy cycle ask these questions:
- Is my child feeling unloved?
- Am I feeling disrespected?
- How will I parent God’s way regardless?
Half the battle is knowing how God has designed families to function well, respected parents and loved children. I encourage you to get your family on the same page so everyone knows how they should live.
