Christian homes should focus on possibilities rather than
prohibitions. This is not to say that conventional wisdom
should be discarded wholesale. There can be great value in
collective wisdom. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, the
key is not what everyone else is doing, but what works best
for my child.
Third, parents are seduced by early success. If your
firstborn is good-natured and compliant, you assume you
can apply the identical parenting techniques to all of your
children. After all, “it” worked for your first one. Too of-
ten parents cling to earlier success and fail to adjust to the
unique personality and needs of each child. I have three
children. Each one challenged me to adapt and adjust (and
pray) until I found the approach that worked best for them.
Don’t squeeze all of your children into the same mold!
Your Gift to support
Renewanation will:
provide children with scholarships to receive
Christian worldview education
help start new Christian education ministries:
Christian schools, homeschools, and ministries
reaching public school students
provide resources to encourage parents to enroll
their children in Christian worldview education
spread the word about the great need for people
to join the cause of Christian worldview education
Fourth, parents fail to consider options. Raising chil-
dren in today’s society is an enormous undertaking. Our
children face dangers, temptations, and predators unlike
anything we encountered when we were growing up. Never-
theless, with today’s problems, are also a plethora of options.
There is a multitude of educational tools, tracks, and helps.
Technology offers a wide array of parenting tools. There are
many family support organizations and programs. Don’t as-
sume that what is best for your child is too expensive, time-
consuming, or difficult. Answers are available. The key is to
take the time to discover them, and use them.
Each child is an amazing, undeserved gift from God.
Don’t minimize their uniqueness by parenting them in
identical fashion. Be creative! Be daring! Be willing to do
whatever it takes so each child thrives.
Editor’s Note: For more help on parenting, we recommend
a recent book Richard Blackaby and his daughter Carrie
co-authored, Customized Parenting in a Trending World.
This book will help you find the courage and creativity to
challenge cultural norms and customize your parenting so
each of your children can thrive. For a limited time, receive
a 30% discount if you order at elevatepub.com/books/
customized-parenting.
Dr. Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries Inter-
national (blackaby.org). He is a prolific author and international
speaker on the subject of leadership in the home, workplace,
and church. He is married to Lisa and has three children.
Visit renewanation.org/donate or
call toll-free 1-855-TO-RENEW.
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