Parenting points of view, have you ever noticed that parenting beliefs and styles are so personal that if someone disagrees with ones practice they are vilified because of the disagreement. This past weekend I started to process one perspective of parenting and that is how we as parents are wired, why we parent the way we do. As I reflect upon my family and my children I realize that so much of my parenting style comes from the way I was raised, the same can be said about my wife. Even though we discuss boundaries in our discipline and parenting. We do admit that what we experienced we model to our kids this includes the good and the bad. Though out our years of ministry and the years of working with parenting. It does amaze me how passionate people get when it comes to their parenting style. Some seek to be continuous learners trying to figure out the latest theory, while others don’t try at all, still there is another group and that group is the group that think the have the corner market on parenting and family. I will not say that one group is better that another but I am going to say that open discussion in regards to parenting can be healthy and is healthy. In the book Raising Great Kids by Cloud and Townsend the authors research revealed the reason parents become so passionate about their style and beliefs are due to the” four aspects of their lives in which they had invested their very heart their child’s welfare, their community, their own welfare, and their God.” The research revealed that for these 4 reasons people become passionate about their parenting practices. After all their decisions may and will influence generations to come. After much thought I would have to apply the following philosophy to my family, prioritize living for Jesus personally everyday. Prayer and the Word is the priority and with complete honesty and transparency I must filter my parenting style through Gods Word. As I do this I will continually grow in God and the Lord gives me wisdom in how to parent my kids. I definitely to have the corner market on it but I know that God knows his kids better than anyone else. So the more I prioritize him the more wisdom and guidance I will receive. In making that statement I will be a student of the latest research and allow God to direct me when it comes to what would be healthy for my my family and what would not be. Until next week, nuf said
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