Emerging Parents

In reading recently about discipline for home and school, I was struck by how our conception of sin influences how we approach discipline. Granted some sort of connection seems obvious, but I was intrigued by the difference it made in whether behavior and discipline became an individual or communal thing.
In the traditions I [...]

A couple commenters have asked for some practical examples of gentle discipline (or compassionate parenting or empathic parenting or whatever you want to call it). I don’t think there’s one right way of doing it. I think that as long as you are respectful of both your child and yourself and allow yourself [...]

If we really believe that the message of Jesus Christ has the power to transform our lives and the world, then it makes perfect sense to me to apply these teachings to how we parent and discipline. I’m no theologian, but my understanding of Jesus’ core message is that of radical love and mercy and [...]

When I told my kids that I had volunteered to write a blog post about discipline, all three burst out in laughter. That’s probably not a good sign. My husband and I have been called “very relaxed parents” by a friend who was trying to put a positive spin on what he saw [...]

John Wilmot (1647–1680) was the 2nd Earl of Rochester, a poet, and a friend of King Charles II. He once opined, ‘Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories’. Not a few of us parents know how he feels, and that not least [...]

During the month of November here at Emerging Parents we will be focusing on the topic of discipline. From theological reflections, to practical advice, to funny stories we will hear from a variety of perspectives on the topic. I’m sure that we will disagree at times, but I hope we can all be [...]