Love and Discipline

Lately, I have been reading too many news stories about an old man man exhibiting the following behaviors: frequent temper tantrums, angry outbursts and irritability, argumentativeness and defiance, destruction of property, serious rule violations, arguing with adults or refusing to comply with adults’ rules, being resentful or spiteful, often deliberately annoying others or becoming annoyed with others, and often blaming other people for one’s own mistakes or misbehavior.

Interestingly enough, I gathered these behaviors and conduct problems from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 and from a hospital in Philadelphia2, both of which were focusing on children, of course.

All of this reminded me of a poem by my grandfather-in-law, Pedro Rodríguez Miranda, which some of you might remember from the series of poems that I translated and published back in 2024 and 2025. You can read those poems here.

Here is the translated poem, followed by the original poem in Spanish.

Love and Discipline

If love and discipline
Do not walk together hand in hand,
Love goes to bed late,
While discipline goes to bed early.

This moral binomial,
Joined together like brothers,
Should never be separated
In our daily lives;
One should not stay up late
If the other goes to sleep early.

Parents and grandparents,
Because they are overly indulgent,
Raise spoiled children,
Turning our values upside down.

That we are loving
toward our children,
PERFECT…
But we must teach them
What is right and what is wrong.

If we forget what is right
Because we are loving,
We will shape within our homeland
A defective adult.
El Amor y la Disciplina

Si el amor y la disciplina
No andan juntos de la mano, 
El amor se acuesta tarde,
La disciplina, temprano.

Este binomio moral
Que se junta, como hermanos,
No se debe separar
En el vivir cotidiano;
Que uno no se acueste tarde,
Si el otro duerme temprano.

Los padres y los abuelos
Por ser muy consentidores,
Crían niños malcriados
Trastocando los valores.

Que seamos amorosos
Con nuestros niños,
PERFECTO…
Mas debemos inculcarles
Lo correcto y lo incorrecto.

Si olvidamos lo correcto,
Porque somos amorosos,
Forjamos en nuestra patria
Un adulto defectuoso.

And because this person is apparently a Christian, it is probably good to remember what Paul told the Christians in Corinth. Paul was talking about the permanence of love compared to spiritual gifts and said the following:

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” —NKJV, 1 Corinthians 13:11

So, because of a lack of proper discipline, the child became a defective adult, and we are now paying the consequences.

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/about/about-behavior-or-conduct-problems-in-children.html ↩︎
  2. https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/disruptive-behavior-disorders-children ↩︎

77 thoughts on “Love and Discipline”

  1. As a child of parents who lived through the Great Depression and WWII, I was raised with discipline and the importance of following rules, respecting authority, and the importance of faith. Showing love through these methods rarely included words and obvious signs of love.

    In contrast, my children and beyond were treasured. Showing love for them was primary. Safety came before authority that was found could not always be trusted, as were the rules. Faith, too, could be questioned, discerned.

    Perhaps we can now come to a middle ground. Parenting needs to reflect the times and current situations.

    Like

    Reply

  2. A thoughtful piece. I especially like the poem’s simple image of love and discipline walking hand in hand, neither has much value when separated from the other. Love without boundaries can become indulgence, while discipline without love can become harshness. The real challenge, for parents and grandparents alike, is teaching right from wrong while making sure a child never doubts that they are loved.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. I love how you ‘do’ social statements/commentary, Edward. 😉 Your relative’s poem is deeply refreshing, even if an accurate depiction of a modern-day ‘defective adult’. As a literary observation, the phrase, “A moral binomial” is quite intriguing!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. I love the profoundity of Pedro’s poem and the importance of your call of awareness, Edward! He expressed it well by the end: “If we forget what is right Because we are loving, We will shape within our homeland A defective adult.” I believe that’s also what’s happening to our world. Children raised by television and social media instead of conscious parents. Raised without discipline or values, but often also without love. How can we expect them to be sound, good adults? I praise a lot the parents that engage meaningfully in their parenting roles—those who give love but also help the child to understand the right and wrong ways of life. The difference and refinement are easily perceivable—both in the child as it grows and in the adult that meanwhile they become. Thank you for this precious moment, my friend! Poem and post much appreciated! Sending light and blessings your way, always! ✨🙏🍀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Susana. Absolutely! I know we are all imperfect humans, but if we can raise our children by maintaining a balance between love and discipline, we will definitely raise better people who can then lead our societies successfully. I appreciate your comment, and blessings to you, my friend. 🙏🏼

      Like

      Reply

  9. A thoughtful reflection, Edward. I like the way you connect love with guidance, boundaries, and responsibility. True love is not about accepting every behaviour; sometimes it means having the courage to correct and guide. The reminder that love and discipline can work together is both meaningful and timely.🤝👍

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  11. yes, the orange one frustrates most all of us, and it’s never ending. i loved Pedro’s poem, especially this – Because we are loving. this says it all and makes all the difference

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. What a thought-provoking and beautifully constructed reflection. I particularly appreciated how you connected contemporary observations about behaviour with your grandfather-in-law Pedro Rodríguez Miranda’s poem, “Love and Discipline.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  13. Such behavior by that old man can tire even the most patient among us. Your grandfather-in-law is a wise man. Overly indulgent parents and grandparents encourage behavior that harm us all, including the children/grandchildren themselves.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. Parents and grandparents, Because they are overly indulgent, Raise spoiled children

    I see that in my family with mom’s grand daughter and great grand daughter

    And, I saw a lot of it while teaching in China. The grand ma’s were the worst

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Actually I found dads and grandads to be much more co-operative. I liked having them in class.

        Grandma’s and mommy would give the kids candy before class. They would bounce off the walls and class was hell. Then, when the sugar rush was over they went to sleep. Them te grannies and mom would call me a bad teacher for not teaching the kids anything. 🤪

        The dads would not give the candy and the kids were great

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        1. You’re definitely living in a different place than I am. My experience is that both grandparents can be very enabling, especially when candy is involved. In fact, I have a grandpa down the road who buys ice cream for his grandkids every time the ice cream truck comes by, at least, he did during the summer when the kids were visiting.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  15. Wonderful message my Dear Friend … Love and discipline really do belong together, and sometimes loving someone means having the courage to teach what is right with both Grace and Truth.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. Your pops wrote such a profound piece, Edward.

    I was discussing Paul’s messages yesterday with a colleague, I am always amazed at how many Christians are selective in the approach and methodology.. and of course, implementation of what Paul espoused.
    Discipline is a huge part of a loving relationship between parent and child.
    Such an insightful poem. Thanks for the share.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. He was definitely a great poet. I agree that, at some point, Christians need to mature and get to the core teachings of Jesus. Babbling and quoting only the agreeable parts of the New Testament isn’t helpful. Some Christians are stuck on basic teachings when Jesus wants much more. You’re very welcome, my friend.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I got into the convenience of using my phone or tablet for devotionals, and recently,I simply put an end to it.
        Got out the old Bible and learned to sit with it again. Doing research using a concordance and line upon line.. so good for the spirit.
        Always a pleasure, Edward.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        1. Great method! I started with Bible study booklets, but I found that the storyline was often disconnected. Now I read the Bible sequentially throughout the year, following the story. When I’m stuck, I consult one of my commentaries (Matthew Henry-my favorite, Moody’s and John MacArthur’s).

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  18. The parallel between CDC childhood conduct guidelines and adult public behavior is so sharp! Inculcating right from wrong through both love and discipline—just as Pedro Rodríguez Miranda wrote—is such a timeless moral lesson. Powerful post, Edward!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. Amen, Amen, Amen! A perfect poem for these times, and a reminder that it seems too many parents fail to heed. Love is easy and fun. Discipline is difficult but necessary. I wonder if a certain defective and destructive old man had either when it counted most.
    Thank you for sharing, Edward.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. My kids believed we were the strictest parents of everyone they knew growing up. I didn’t think we were that strict. But we expected our kids to be courteous, do their homework, and a few chores. They were swimmers and didn’t have much down time.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

Leave a comment