Why should I discipline my child?

Someone recently told my husband that our children were very well behaved.  Compliments like that are so nice to hear (especially when you are going through a rough patch).  One of the kindest things you can do for your child is to discipline them.  People like to be around well behaved kids. The way you parent affects the way others think of your children.  It's an unfair thing to do to your child to let them act like a brat.  It makes other people not like them and as a parent, wouldn't that bother you to know that people dislike your children?  I would hate to think someone was thinking "Oh great - here comes that Parker kid".  Or "oh I hope that the Parker's don't come.  Their kids are such monsters".

Wanting people to like my kids is a very earthly reason to discipline them.  That should not be my end goal.  I want people to like my kids so that they can see Christ.  I want people to enjoy my family so we can show the love of God.  No one is gonna see that, if our kids are little terrors.  It will ruin our witness.

In this world our children will have to learn to obey.  No matter what we think of it, they will have to obey their teachers, their boss, the law, and those in authority over them or they will pay the consequences.  How much kinder will it be, if they first learn that they need to obey their parents.  If they never ever have to obey you, life is going to be hard for them.  Much harder than it needs to be.  I don't want life to be hard for my children!  It's going to be hard enough without adding to it.   I've heard Bible teachers say that the most important lesson a toddler needs to learn is to obey their parents.

Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

When you tell them to do something, they need to do it.  And do it the first time you ask them to (I'm not good at that part).  If you start training your child as a toddler it will be so much easier to do as they get older.  The longer you wait, the harder it'll be.  A ten year old who has never had to obey will be much more difficult to deal with than the two year old was.  And a twenty year old who has never been told "no" is going to deal with the consequences for the rest of their life.  My brother works at a prison for boys and I'm sure he would swear to the fact that almost all of the kids there were never taught to obey anyone.  They got to do whatever they wanted and look where it got them.  Eventually life will teach your child the lessons that you don't and it's going to be easier for them if you do it.

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.

One of the biggest reasons we need to teach our children to obey us is because it will help them learn to obey God.  We need to obey God.  To not do that is to sin and there are consequences of sin.  I would much rather that my children learn the consequences of disobedience from me than from God.

Hebrews 12:7
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?