The Myth of the Perfect Parent

Overview

According to Leslie Leyland Fields in "The Myth of the Perfect Parent," Bible-believing parents have imbibed the philosophy of John B. Watson, an early 20th-century psychologist who boasted he could train any child. Christians often follow the same kind of behaviorism, giving it a Christian veneer with selected Bible verses. And yet many children in evangelical homes are not "turning out" the way we hope or expect. Our expectations of parenting are clearly off-kilter and need to be rethought.

Table of Contents

SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Ezekiel 2:3-5; 3:8-15; Ephesians 6:1-4; Hebrews 11

LEADER'S GUIDE

• Identify the Current Issue

• Discover the Eternal Principles

—Teaching point one: A faithful life is no guarantee of good parenting.

—Teaching point two: Faithfulness does not guarantee success-or even happiness.

—Teaching point three: We must faithfully teach our children to both love and obey God.

—Teaching point four: Raising children requires faithful obedience from children and parents.

• Apply Your Findings

• Recommended Resources

ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY

• The Myth of the Perfect Parent, by Leslie Leyland Fields (2010)

Total number of pages—6