1) Make sure others see you. Matt. 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?…” Perhaps if others see our intentions of living a Christian life, they will either: a) become interested and follow your lead OR b) avoid the SCARY Christian dude OR c) attempt to lead you to their sinful life, which leads us to number 2.

2) Leave yourself an out. Have a plan of escape. 1 Cor. 10:13 “…but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

These days one has to be careful about disciplining a child in public. Keep two things in mind: (1) As a parent, you must always maintain appropriate control of your children, if they think your hands are tied in wal-mart or the restaurant, look out! (2) While I think spanking is an entirely appropriate, if not essential, part of parental discipline, you know that there are vigilantes out there that think it’s wrong to spank at all. Unfortunately, there are judges that seem to agree with them. Whether or not your particular form of “spanking” is out of line, one accusation can land you in police custody fighting to beat the charges. Let’s just do our best to avoid that altogether.

I think my parents handled things appropriately even before going to jail for spanking your child was much of an issue. My wife’s parents did the same things. It’s worked beautifully for my wife and I as well. When a child acts up in public, let them know with a stern look and stern verbal warning that the behavior will not be tolerated, and if continued, will result in leaving the store/restaurant immediately for whatever sort of punishment is appropriate. I remember my mother leaving her cart and taking me or one of my siblings out to the car and away to a place more appropriate for disciplining us. It worked. She only had to be inconvenienced a couple of times until we got her point. Parents who are not willing to be so inconvenienced face the incovenience of misbehavior constantly. Leave that cart full of groceries, take the child and go! (Sorry for whomever has to restock the shelves if the cart is full, but it’s necessary.) In restaurants, when my children have acted up, they get warned, then taken to the bathroom for a serious confrontation, then out to the van to sit with either my wife or me until the rest of the family gets finished eating. They learn that they do not have power over the family. Yes, they may cause one parent to have to sit with them in the car, but they’ll be miserable, and the rest of the family will eat in peace (along with everyone else in the restaraunt). You won’t have to do this more than once or twice until your child will have learned how to act in a restaurant. From then on… peace! Sweet peace.

So, it comes down to being smarter than your child, and being willing to be inconvenienced to make the point that they have to obey you and act appropriately.
—JLP

Punishment in public is challenging. I’ve heard it said that you shouldn’t discipline in public unless you are also willing to praise your children in public. That sounds easy, but it also requires an attentive parent. It can be easy to forget to reward a polite, well-behaved child. My personal belief is discipline is most effective when performed in private. When anything is done in public, you are inviting the public into your business. When I was growing up and I mis-behaved to the point of necessary discipline, my parents would park the grocery cart and we would go to the car. If I still was unwilling to submit, we would make a trip home to receive my deserved discipline.

Being a parent is one of the greatest achievements of my life. It involves love, patience, sacrifice, selflessness, etc. It has taught me so much about myself and how I know God would have me to be. I liken it to having God at my side: holding my finger, talking to me about the impact my day is having on their lives, sharing our plans for the future, confiding in one another the problems we are facing. It is TRULY awesome.