Is Intentional Parenting Really Necessary?
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A few families make their way through life, coming out, mildly happy about the way things turned out. Intentional parenting isn’t something all parents consider. Sometimes, parents can do enough of the right things, right. Their kids transition into adult life without terrifying problems to speak of. It kinda makes ya wonder, “is all this child training and intentional parenting worth the effort? Is intentional parenting really necessary?”
Well, yes… it is! Here’s why…
Parents Need Training More Than Anyone
There is one central vein to my source of parenting conviction. Being intentional. Doctors go to school for years, (aren’t we glad) lawyers must know all the laws, CPA’s, teachers, scientists, all need a lot of training. They could not be successful without it.
Babies, however, show up after no real training for a mom. One day you are not a mom, then a few months later, you are. It is now your responsibility to raise up this tiny person who will be a part of the future generation.
When I found out I was expecting my first child, I was not OK with winging it. Nor was I on board with implementing what I had learned from my own childhood.
I knew there must be people who had devoted their lives to studying and researching what made for successful parenting.
What Measures Success?
First, we had to determine what success meant for our family. We knew hands down the single most important thing we could do for our kids was to introduce them to Christ.
This caused me to be very conscientious about what sources I looked to for parenting wisdom. Books, articles, magazines, videos, all had to come from a Christian parenting and family professional if I was going to allow their words to penetrate my heart and mind.
There may be good parenting advice available from non-Christian sources. However, if good parenting is found in a secular source and it unknowingly lines up with scripture, there is a Christian professional that has covered it somewhere else.
Is Intentional Parenting Really Necessary?
Is intentional parenting really necessary for growing a family that is set apart and lives differently than the majority? Ya, it really is. Regret is ugly. We get one short little life.
I have one chance to raise my children. I want to minimize the number of things I look back on from old age and wish I’d done differently. Don’t be afraid to fail, because you will. It’s part of being human.
We certainly can’t win at any aspect of parenting, if we’re not trying to do better than mainstream culture tells us is normal.
Mainstream culture is like a raging river.
It wants to pull with you into the idea that raising kids is just plain hard.
That it is easier to hide in a closet than stand up, confidently in your role as a mom. This negative culture will also pull our children under if we aren’t teaching them to swim stronger than the current.
Someday the children we train up will be the leaders of the world. If you trust the scripture, one day there will be a formerly fallen world, that has been restored and will need Godly governing.
Will there be enough people who know the heart of the Creator in order to govern according to his will? We train our children to be holy and set apart because within a family that is strong and unified children can grow and thrive.
A child can become the whole wonderful person God has created him to be. In this kind of family, there is joy, laughter, and peace to be had.
