I have a confession to make: I love watching the reality TV show Parental Guidance. This show, currently airing its second season, brings together 12 sets of parents (or single parents) with differing parenting styles. Each episode we watch footage of each set of parents navigating various parenting ‘challenges’ with their children. The group of parents then evaluates how well each set of parents did, with the help of parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson.
What I like about the show is that the parents who come on are very intentional in their approach to child-raising, and yet ready to improve and learn from others. The format of the show encourages parents to understand and support one another, rather than rushing to condemn (although some parents hide their eyebrow-raising better than others).
A Christian label?
It impresses me that anyone could choose a one-word label to sum up their parenting. It has got me thinking. How would I describe our parenting style? Most of the time I think it’s ‘learning-on-the-job’! And is there any one parenting style that you could call ‘Christian’?
There have been several sets of parents on Parental Guidance who identify as Christians. Last year the overtly Christian parents were the ‘strict’ and ‘tiger’ parents. But this year, the parents representing the Christian way are … the ‘gentle’ parents—the complete opposite! It seems that there is no single ‘Christian’ parenting style.
Perhaps this is because our Christian faith is only one of the things that influences our parenting style. For example, this year’s ‘gentle’ parents initially made a simple, direct connection between their faith and their parenting style: because God, our heavenly Father, is patient and gentle with us, they seek to be patient and gentle with their children. However, as time went on, we discovered that other factors had influenced their style too. Tragically, the couple lost their first child shortly before birth. This rough start has given them measureless gratitude and patience for the children they are now blessed to have. The ‘gentle’ father also mentioned his own upbringing: having grown up in a family where he had little say or agency, he wants to raise his children differently.
The fact is that the way we raise our children is shaped not only by our Christian beliefs, but also by our lived experiences.
Christian principles
Although different Christians may approach child-raising in different ways, I think there are some Christian principles that we all share.
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