By Filings on
Christian Living
Parenting
Gentle Parenting
Human Nature

“…gentle parenting professionals are liable to use reductive and ahistorical claims about human beings as the groundwork on which to build a whole series of promises.” - Megan Dent

Discussion

Mon, 12/09/24

I hope that the critiques of gentle parenting- while necessary- do not cause parents to think that they should not be gentle. Jesus taught us that he could be meek and gentle while still being firm and authoritative.

I think of how Jesus dealt with the 7 churches in Revelation. In Rev 1:4 he tells them he comes lovingly with peace and grace, but he still admonishes them. (BTW admonishment in scripture means a gentle rebuke). As he admonishes the churches he gently reminds them about what they are doing right before he corrects them for what they are doing wrong. This is a good example for us to follow as parents. Even the church at Laodicea where there is nothing to commend them for, Jesus tells them he loves them.

Mon, 12/09/24

JD Miller, agreed. Parents should be authoritative but can be gentle at the same time, and not enough children have had parents like that. It's my experience that I usually see parents either NOT parenting, or else parenting to harshly.

Mon, 12/09/24

Gentle parenting advocates do seem to react very strongly to what they perceive as overly harsh parenting they themselves received. But the ones I have read twist the Scriptures to deny any role for corporal punishment. While I have not come across any Christian "gentle parents" who openly deny the existence of a sin nature, their methods do give that impression.