Category: Parent/Child Relationship

Parenting trends tend to be giant pendulum swings. If some parents have criticized their children too much, then we should do nothing but praise our children. If praising our children constantly has produced children who are entitled, then we need to be critical parents. Studies have shown, even individuals are prone to the pendulum swing. If you believe your parents were too strict about giving you money, chances are you will be too lenient giving money to your children. Our gut reaction is to do the exact opposite of what has not worked in the past.

Unfortunately, often the best parenting techniques are somewhere between the extremes. The good news for Christian parents is that the Bible gives us guidance to help us find those balanced places. Taking the latest trends in parenting and comparing them to godly principles will help you find that godly balance in your parenting.

Continue reading Finding Balance in Christian Parenting

Nothing makes a parent crumble faster than the first time a child says “I hate you!”. Normally, those soul crushing words are first yelled when a perfectly lovely child doesn’t get her way. Even the toughest parent wants to cry and give whatever is necessary to turn your child back into the loving toddler who would tackle you with hugs and kisses.

If your child is young, there is actually a lot of good news. What you are dealing with is not so much a child who actually hates you, but rather a child who is too young to have enough of a vocabulary to quickly and easily communicate to you how very frustrated and angry she is at the moment. Very young children may express their frustration by pitching a tantrum.

Continue reading When Your Child Says “I Hate You!”

People scanning the internet for advice supposedly want things broken down very simply. Unfortunately, Christian parenting requires a lot of purposeful, intentional, proactive, godly work. It is not easy. There is not a pill you can give your kids or one quick thing you can do in two minutes a day that will help you raise children who become adults after God’s own heart.

The good news is that there are three basic areas where you need to focus your attention each day. If you can work on each of this areas with each of your children on most days, you will greatly improve your chances of raising a child who becomes a faithful, active, productive Christian.

Continue reading The Three Most Important Rules in Christian Parenting

Everywhere you turn, parents are being criticized for hovering over their children. If you believe the media hype, every mother in America is sitting two feet away from her child at all times, ready to make everything perfect. A trip to a local playground or middle school, however, will reveal the reality of modern parenting.

Here is the ugly truth. Many parents are absolutely content to focus on their personal happiness and allowing their children to basically raise themselves.

I have watched countless parents fly through the mall with tiny two and three year olds running as hard as they can (ten feet behind the parent), while the parent is absolutely oblivious to the fact their child could have been lost in the crowd or grabbed by a stranger. I have seen parents give their children whatever they want in an effort to keep them quiet.

Continue reading The Myth of the Helicopter Parent