The Reasonable Parent (James 3:17)

Contrary to rumor, telling your kids the reasons why they should do something, or not do something, is a good practice. You are not caving-in on your authority by telling the youth the purposes behind your directives. Yes, "because I said so" is sometimes the reason, but if you throw that retort into your parenting stew all the time, and sweeten the pot, you are unintentionally teaching that God is a despot who does stuff just because. 

God is wise, as well as authority. And we know from Scripture that God the Parent sometimes let His children go back-and-forth with Him. Parents reveal God's wise nature by verbalizing the wisdom, the reasons, behind their directives and requirements. 

It is also an emotional relief to children that their parents can be reasoned-with. How else can a child learn to think, if they don't fence with someone sometimes? Lucky us, we get to be the doggy-bones on which our puppies learn to chew. 

On the other hand, a child's brainless, rebellious arguing is something else entirely, and should be deterred accordingly. If our kids want reasonable parents, then they are required to learn to be reasonable people themselves.