5 Traits of a Healthy Family by Gary Chapman

Author:Gary Chapman [Chapman, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

LEARNING TO TEACH AND TRAIN

I can hear some parents saying, “Hold it. Stop the train. I want to get off. My parents weren’t educated, but they just loved us, and we turned out all right. So why make such a big deal of it? Aren’t we making parenting too hard?”

I must confess I have some sympathy for these thoughts. But there are some very real reasons that today’s parents must be far more intentional in the parenting process. In the traditional pattern of the first hundred and fifty years of the United States—and in nonliterate cultures—culture was far more homogenous. An accepted pattern of life was held by the general populace. Right was right and wrong was wrong, and most people agreed about what fell into each category. Parents, the school, the church, and the neighbors all agreed on proper behavior for children, and each reinforced the other. If parents loved their children and provided for their physical needs and “did what came naturally” in parenting their children, the children probably did turn out all right. A part of that family pattern involved parental authority; children were taught to respect their parents and other adults. Since everyone was teaching the child the same principles, it was not difficult for the child to understand and learn to live within that framework.

However, today’s world is radically different. We have no system of thought or accepted lifestyle upon which all of society agrees. The messages that vie for the child’s attention are often contradictory. The lifestyle of the neighbor next door (or even at church) may be radically different from the lifestyle in the child’s family. The child may become extremely confused; thus, parental guidance is more essential than in a former age.

What remains true in all societies is that parents have the primary responsibility for teaching and training their own children. In spite of the fact that in Western contemporary culture the school has become a major player, in my opinion parents must not abdicate this responsibility. Who will interpret the messages the child hears at school, on TV, online, at church, and in the neighborhood? I believe that is the parents’ responsibility. For those of us in the Judeo-Christian tradition who believe that the Ten Commandments serve as a basis for society’s moral fiber, our role as parents becomes exceedingly important in the modern pluralistic society. Thus, it is true that the demands of parenting are far greater today than in a past generation. We can no longer simply do what comes naturally with our children. The modern child is far too exposed to dangerous and destructive lifestyles. If we truly love our children, we are compelled to teach and train them in keeping with the principles we believe to be true. This chapter is for those of you who sincerely want to sharpen your skills at teaching and training your children.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.