Ever experienced the outplay of a two-year-old’s punch to the face?

As a mom of 7, I’ve experienced some version of it, several times over. One little boy, many moons ago, slapped me in the middle of a Hobby Lobby trip. Several have yelled “no” at me.

And this happened almost a year ago:

It was a right hook, and he did it without a scream or anything. Just an angry, introverted little punch to the side of my glasses, right by my eye. He wanted me to give him one of the in-shell peanuts all the other kids were eating at lunch. But my answer was “no.”

It took me by surprise for sure! I’ve been slapped, or had kids try and hit me, but never a quiet, on-purpose PUNCH.

Didn’t hurt (which was nice)– but I promptly took him up to his room, talked to him about “never hitting mama,” disciplined him, and the message definitely got through. He cried, said sorry (at my prompting), hugged me, and changed his attitude before we came back down to the table.

AND. For context: I was shaky and hungry (hangry?) because I’d waited too long to start lunch, and my hands were literally shaking as I was slicing cheese, putting my sandwich together, etc. I was on my third day of a sore throat, have snot coming out in several places because of a cold (I guess?), tired because of cleaning non-stop for days, because my mom was about to fly into town. When it happened I was also 39 weeks, 6 days pregnant, having contractions– hormonal and tired.

My point?

Sometimes stuff like this happens to all of us at what seems like “couldn’t be a worse time.”

I’m sharing this little incident to encourage you.

Sometimes I’ve gotten comments that imply that because our older children are well-behaved, that we have “easy” kids, or that they’re somehow more naturally pleasant and kinder, sweeter, or not as stubborn and sinful as other people’s kids.

Please take this vignette as encouragement. Stuff like this happens to all of us– it really does!

No one gets non-sinners for children.

But, no matter the situation, when your “mommy radar” goes off, it’s worth it to get up, deal with it rightly, to discipline promptly, and to keep guiding them toward the way they should go. It’s worth it to keep them close. It’s worth it to be more stubborn than they are.

Mama, don’t lose heart! It’s worth it to give prompt, consistent, loving discipline.

And today?

Today my little almost-3-year-old wouldn’t DREAM of hitting me. We snuggle. We laugh. He listens to my voice, obeys promptly (most of the time), and is growing in self-control.

Keep on keeping on in the quest to correct, train, and lovingly, diligently discipline these wonderful & sinful little people God has entrusted to you.  It is worth it.

IN THE COMMENTS, PLEASE SHARE: Have you ever been punched by a 2-year-old? How do you stay motivated to raise WELL-DISCIPLINED little people? 

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