I attempted to cook something new today.

“Your kids will love it!” the woman at church assured me as she gave me her recipe for calzones.

Unfortunately, my daughters didn’t share her enthusiasm. “Gross!” Katie and Hollie said in unison when they took one look at the oozing cocoon I pulled out of the oven.

Feeling belittled for my efforts and bloated from eating both girls' portions and my own, I sent Katie and Hollie off to play after dinner so I could clean up the kitchen in peace.

A short while later, I was still feeling unappreciated when Katie raced through the living room, chasing Hollie with a plunger.

 “All right,” I said sternly. “If you’ve got that much energy, you can help me clean.”

Swapping out Katie's plunger for a dust rag and window cleaner, I supervised as both daughters polished glass and dusted furniture.

All hard work really does bring a profit, I decided as I watched them behave better with every room they cleaned. 

When the work was done, I thanked Katie and Hollie for their involuntary service and sat down to enjoy the dust-free surroundings. My house was cleaner, my children were quieter, and I felt better as a parent, all because I took Proverbs 14:23 to heart.

We can do the work of disciplining our children and reap the benefits of better behavior or let them run wild until we run out of ways to correct them. Having seen the results of both I am a firm believer that, when kids go berserk, it’s time to put them to work.