Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley
Week 4: Chapter 3 — Discipline
Read Chapter 3 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Hebrews 12:5–11; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4.
Previewing Week 4 of Habits of the Household
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 10-week guide when you’re ready.
Discipline is often the place where our parenting most reveals what we actually believe about grace, authority, and human nature. Earley's reframe of discipline as discipleship is one of the book's most transformative ideas — sit with it carefully.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Earley makes a pointed observation: the word "discipline" shares its root with the word "disciple." Why does this etymology matter? How does it change the goal and the posture of correction in the home?
2.Most parents default to one of two failure modes in discipline: being too harsh and authoritarian, or being too permissive and conflict-avoidant. Which tendency do you lean toward, and what does that reveal about what you fear?
3.Earley draws a distinction between discipline that aims at behavior modification and discipline that aims at heart transformation. What does each look like in practice? What are the long-term consequences of each approach?
a.Think of a recent disciplinary moment with your child. Was your response aimed more at stopping the behavior or at engaging the heart behind it?
b.What would it have looked like to aim at the heart in that moment?