“Another issue with disciplining today is that way too many people think of it as punishment; discipline is training for righteousness; discipline is walking with!” -Kathy Koch.

Raising Christian Kids has decided to re-release our disciplining series, which was originally released in March of 2023. We feature experts who share their knowledge and are passionate about helping parents and caregivers navigate the rough waters of disciplining. We cover many topics, such as disciplining strong-willed children and children with varying cognitive abilities, the different types of consequences, and the most problematic issues parents face in today’s chaotic society. The wisdom that’s shared will hopefully help you raise children who are teachable and obedient to you and, most importantly, obedient to God.

Dr. Kathy Koch is the founder and president of Celebrate Kids and the associate co-founder of Ignite the Family. She regularly speaks at conventions, schools, churches, and pregnancy resource centers, where she has influenced thousands of people. Dr. Kathy is a popular guest on Focus on the Family radio, and her podcast, Celebrate Kids with Dr. Kathy, is among the most popular parenting podcasts. She is also an author of many books published by Moody Publishers.

Throughout this episode, Dr. Koch shares advice on disciplining, understanding strong-willed children, and the most problematic issues with disciplining children today.

Key Takeaways:

• The discipline of wisdom can be defined as agreeing with God, a perspective God brings to a topic, and applying truth – wisdom is using the right with the right motive for the right outcome.
• Ways to address a strong-willed child when they continue arguing, talking back, or ignoring their parents’ directives.
• A strong-willed child is not bad when they have self-control, self-respect, and respect for others; having a strong will is a great characteristic for decision-making and leadership.
• What a strong-willed child wants is power, control, and victory.
• Advice for disciplining and understanding strong-willed children:
  • Keep a written record of when your child argues, talks back, or ignores you to help determine if it’s situational.
  • Avoid saying “no” when your child asks a question; replace it with “when and then.”
• Most problematic issues when disciplining children today:
  • Overwhelmed parents.
  • Consequences differ from punishments.
  • Technology.

Dr. Kathy’s Books & Resources

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