American Parents ‘Are Afraid of Their Own Kids,’ Physician Says

In my view, a big part of the problem is that much of the time, parents are prone to wait for “big sin issues” before they intervene. In my family, the question of phone usage is simple; is the phone getting in the way of other things the child needs to be doing? If so, the phone is impounded for a while. We’re not waiting to discover porn use or sexting or the like.

When I hear parents habitually telling their children to do something and then ask the child “OK?” I wonder two things; do they realize that they’re asking their child’s permission and what happens if the child says “No!”?

I was told that in the family the word “No” is the word used by whoever is in charge. (One child called it “the Daddy word”.) I aslo see a philosophy that tells parents not to use the word no but to, instead, give the child better choices.

If this is what most parents are actually like, then God help us all.

I am appalled at the number of Christian parents I see who cannot control their children with their voice. Simple commands like “stop running”, “don’t interrupt”, and “come here” are routinely ignored. Couple that with parents who can only get their children to obey with bribery or threats, and it’s no wonder my generation is pessimistic about the younger generation.

In any relationship, whoever can use the word “no” with effect is the one in authority.