Gentle Parenting is a philosophy of parenting generally (though many aspects focus on discipline specifically), that asserts that children are due the same respect and consideration as every other person, no matter their age. We believe this fundamental truth can be arrived at through observation of the natural, created order, and more specifically, through God’s word.
Children are due the same respect and consideration as every other person, no matter their age.
We all recognize a person’s right not to be harmed without cause, and for the gentle parent, we believe this extends even to our children, including spanking.
Children have the right to their own bodies, their own property, and their own emotions. As parents, we are to steward those rights very carefully until we can see that they can handle bearing those responsibilities themselves.
This is foundational, but not exhaustive… Particularly when it comes to the way we approach our kids outside of discipline. So much of gentle parenting is wrapped up in the first statement, “children are due respect”. Gentle parenting is not only the recognition of a child’s God-given rights and our relationship to them, but also what type of relationships we should be cultivating with our kids. Connection, empathy, guidance, teaching, and healthy communication are all pillars of gentle parenting, underscored and upheld by the recognition of the child’s God-given rights.
Connection, empathy, guidance, teaching, and healthy communication are all pillars of gentle parenting, underscored and upheld by the recognition of the child’s God-given rights.
As gentle parents, we believe this respect of our children and their God given rights, prohibits us from using spanking or coercion or otherwise unwarranted force of any kind (that is, force that is not explicitly in self defense and directly proportional).
We believe that children, like us, learn best through cooperation, modeling, connection and with intrinsic motivation, therefor not only are coercive punishment/reward systems seen by gentle parents as wrong, but also ineffective, as our highest goal is not immediate compliance from our children, but raising intrinsically motivated adults who have learned how to cooperate, establish and respect boundaries, and negotiate, from the time they are little.
For more details on how what gentle parenting is, and what it looks like practically speaking, please check out our podcast!
Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3 are our episodes specifically outlining what gentle parenting is philosophically, and how it is practically different from more traditional models.
Episode 4 explains what our goals are as gentle parents, if not mainly obedience.
Episode 11 explains where we at Tending Lambs believe our authority as parents comes from scripturally, and what it looks like practically.
Thanks for taking the time to check out our website! If you have anymore questions, please join us to further the conversation in our Facebook group, or check out our Facebook page for more gentle parenting resources and daily updates.
-The Tending Lambs Team