This verse is often misunderstood. It is not a call to harshness but a call to love that is willing to correct. 'Sparing the rod' means refusing to discipline — and the verse identifies this as a form of hatred, not gentleness. The parent who truly loves a child is the one who disciplines them promptly ('betimes' — early, in good time), shaping them before wrong patterns harden. True love does the hard work of correction.
Memory phrase: Loving parents correct early.
Talk about it: Has a parent ever corrected you because they loved you? How did you know it was love?
Prayer: God, help me receive correction as love.