HALT!
Posted by Andrea
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. (Proverbs 23:12)
When I was in the last trimester of my pregnancy with Sweet Pea, I took a water aerobics class at the local YMCA. I was the only person under the age of 65 in the class, but I so enjoyed every meeting! While working out, these darling senior citizens would often strike up conversations with me, offer parenting advice, and share fond memories of raising their own children.
One day while in the pool, a sweet 80 something year old woman in the class shared a great piece of parental wisdom. She introduced me to the acronymn HALT and told me that if I wanted to avoid problems, I should never allow my little ones to become too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.
Woe to the mother and father who are caring for children who are too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired! The ire of these upset children and the furrowed brows of their parents can easily be spotted on playgrounds and in supermarkets, malls, and time out chairs all across the nation! Though JT and I have found that abiding by the HALT principle is an effective method of dealing with our children, did you know it’s also a great principle for adults to live by?
Am I the only one who has eaten way too much or made poor food choices because I was too hungry? Hardly. Am I the sole individual who has experienced a strained relationship because I let my anger run away with me? No. Am I the first person who has slipped into the company of the wrong crowd because I was lonely? Nope. Am I the lone lady who has found herself under the weather because I haven’t gotten enough rest? Certainly not.
Hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness are not issues relegated to modern day men and women. The Bible provides many examples of people who lived long ago and battled these very same issues. Remember Esau? He foolishly gave his birthright to his younger brother Jacob because he was hungry for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:28-34). Remember Moses? His hope of entering the Promised Land was dashed because he allowed his anger with the Israelites to overtake him (Numbers 20:1-12). Remember Elijah? After Jezebel threatened his life, Elijah’s fear and loneliness drove him to waste time cowering alone in the desert instead of utilizing the strength God had given him (I Kings 19: 1-8). What about Samson? He finally revealed the source of his strength to Delilah after tiring of her constant nagging (Judges 16:4-21).
What lessons can we learn from the HALT principle? Just as children trust their parents to meet their needs, we must trust God to meet our physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. As parents employ strategies to combat problems associated with their children’s hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness, we must seek Godly wisdom so we can better anticipate potential problems in these areas. If we do not do these things, we are like little children: prone to tantrums, meltdowns, and poor decisions. Let’s make sure we’re well fed, happy, in good company, and well rested. If we’re not, we run the risk of making foolish or rash decisions that could send us into a spiritual time out!
Photo: Courtesy of johnwilliamsphd (Flickr)
Wise words! (Love your water aerobics story. Such sweet senior citizens.) e-Dad and I use H.A.L.T. in our relationship all the time… it’s usually hunger that puts us in a foul mood. (We joke about the need to “elevate our blood sugar.”) It’s certainly a good acronym to use with children too… I wish I’d known of it when my kids were really small. :~D
I’ve never heard of H.A.L.T., but what a great way to focus on situations that can lead to poor choices and foul moods!
Thanks for sharing your story and this advice!
Ann, I hadn’t heard of it either until this sweet woman told me. But interestingly enough, I was listening to a Charles Stanley online and he mentioned the acronym as well. Apparently God wants me to keep this in mind!
Thank you for visiting.
Wow! I love this HALT acronym both for my little guy and myself!! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, it’s good for people large and small. One size fits ALL!
I just popped over from HighCallingBlogs.com. I love this acronym–because it includes loneliness.
Now, if I can just figure out how to help my kids not be lonely without thinking they always need me to be their companion! That kind of thinking would probably smother them.