"[R]omanticism ... regards the emotional bond within marriage as an end in itself, the principal meaning of the relationship and the basis for its permanency. And its emergence two centuries ago marked the beginning of the slide toward singlehood that we see today." - Intellectual Takeout
"Because you would rather stay home with your children—which is a great desire—your work outside of the home may feel more like a 'have to' than a 'want to' or a 'get to.' And that sort of situation can be the breeding ground for contempt and bitterness...So, what can you do about it? I think you have two options. With God’s help, you could either change your situation or change your heart." - TGC
Joel Shaffer: "...many of today’s dads grew up without a father at home. Young dads today realize how negatively they were affected by fatherlessness, and they want to do all they can not to repeat the same mistake.” - CrossWalk
"Indeed, divorce doesn't just lead to father absence but to mother absence as well. Not in quite the same way—most children of divorce live with their mothers. But those mothers aren't home. They're at work." - Suzanne Venker
From the archives…
Christian parenting experts often seem unable to see the forest for the trees. Whether it’s “grace based,” “gospel centered,” “heart focused,” or some other phrase du jour, many seem to begin with a lofty concept about what the Bible ought to teach about parenting then go to Scripture and—surprise!—find it there.
As a result, we have constantly clashing emphases—to the everlasting frustration of parents, who just want to know what God expects of them and how to perform those tasks more effectively.
My aim here is (1) to argue that all parents really need is a biblical theology of parenting, (2) to describe how we should go about building such a theology and (3) to identify several principles that must be foundational to it.
Does the whole idea of having a “theology of parenting” sound novel? It shouldn’t. Those who firmly believe that the Scriptures are sufficient for faith and practice should also believe that a matter as important as Christian parenting is sufficiently addressed in the Bible. The essentials are all there. Though human wisdom—Christian and secular—may offer some useful advice on the nuts-and-bolts level, all the major principles and purposes are in the Book. And, in the area of principles and purposes, those who do not embrace a biblical view of God and human nature can have nothing of value to say.
We need a sound theology, and a sound theology is pretty much all we need.
"Watching your kids all day makes parenting harder, which makes people have fewer kids, which means fewer siblings and neighbors to play with, which makes kids more dependent on parents for amusement, which makes parenting harder, and so on …" - Ross Douthat
