I had three theories on raising children before mine was born. Now I have one child and no theories.

If you haven't taught them by the age of 4 that there are severe consequences to their actions, they are already lost. I'm watching one of my friends raise their granddaughter because the mother is on Meth. When she was younger, she didn't have to do anything she wasn't comfortable with. When she was off on a church youth trip in Gatlinburg, her parents drove all the way up there to get her because she got mad about something and demanded they come get her. This kind of exception was made often for her. She was a princess.

They are making the same mistakes with the 4 year old granddaughter. If she doesn't want to go to Sunday School, she gets to stay in the office with Gma. If she scribbles all over the church office desk with a sharpie, Gma softly corrects her with, "No, no. Don't do that sweetheart".