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Parenting
Aayushi Kapoor September 25th, 2024 · 4min read

Grace-Based Parenting: Exploring The Concept Of Grace For Raising Kids

“Grace” is a well-understood concept in the Bible, it reflects the foundation of Christianity and the basis for recovery. Grace teaches discipline and trains people to live healthily and happily.

The term “grace” in the bible is greater than anything, it is a way to live! It doesn’t matter what religion we follow; grace is for everyone! Have you ever heard of grace-based parenting?

Grace-based parenting is a parenting style derived from the bible. In short, grace-based parenting is a new way of raising children the way God raises us. In this blog, we will take a deep look at the concept of grace-based parenting.

What is Grace-Based Parenting?

As the name implies, grace-based parenting is about teaching grace to our children. Dr. Tim Kimmel introduced the concept of grace-based parenting in his book titled, “Grace-Based Families.” Grace-based parenting includes:

  • Raising children with grace
  • Limited tenderness
  • Real presence in the details

Grace-based parenting is not a tool but it is about celebrating parenthood with “Grace.” The parents who believe in the practices of the Bible, keep their spirit alive in their homes. They live peacefully together, they let the kids feel safe around them. Overall, grace-based parenting provides children with a lifestyle that helps them grow up in a safe, loving, and healthy environment.

According to Galatians 5:22-23 ESV, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”

Parenting experts believe that grace-based parenting is not about setting rigid rules, punishments, or setting strict behaviors. But it revolves more around teaching obedience to children. Similarly, God wants us to obey him, we teach the same to the children. And, true obedience is not achieved by setting rules but it is established by serving the right thing at the right time.

Examples of Grace-Based Parenting

Grace-based parenting is not only limited to obedience, compassion, or other important factors but it is overall based on the learnings we seek from the Bible, for example:

  • God supports us when we reject rigid rules especially when they’re not aligned with our In such moments, we seek the support of God and similarly, in such spaces, we can ask our children to come and question.
  • Jesus is known to be a role model in our lives, similarly, we can become role models for our children and guide them appropriately. As parents, the idea is to offer a forever-loving relationship to our children, like Jesus did.
  • Grace-based completely opposes the idea of comparison. In today’s world, parents usually compare their children with other children. The Bible teaches us not to compare or classify ourselves with one another in section 2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV.

How to Practice Grace-Based Parenting?

Below are listed ways that can help you develop Christ-inspired relationships with your kids:

Support your children with grace and teach them forgiveness:

One of the best ways to deal with children is to make them feel supported. Practice forgiveness regularly, this will help build self-esteem in children. We believe children perform well when they know they are supported.

Work on their fear:

Fear controls children and when we free our children from the root causes of fear, they enhance their skills the right way. Parents who punish children instil fear in the children. Instead of punishing your children, make them learn about their mistakes.

Develop obedience:

Gentleness was the charm of Jesus. Jesus never punished people for their sins, instead, he practiced forgiveness. Similarly, peaceful parents must offer learning to children by developing a connection of empathy, trust, and respect.

A Takeaway from the Author

We all have made mistakes, but we all stood up, acknowledged, took the learnings, and proceeded with new challenges. Similarly, children learn from their mistakes as well as parents, we must guide them gracefully. When you start practicing grace-based parenting with your children, remember that “grace” must never leave your side.

The grace offered by God is for all, including ourselves and our children. Therefore, give yourself a chance to learn more and teach more to your children gracefully. Practice self-forgiveness, and work on building a healthy family that models healing, recovery, forgiveness, obedience, respect, empathy, and everything that is required to become a better person. Grace-based parenting definitely does not shape a perfect family but it shapes a self-motivated family who is gentle towards everyone.

I hope this blog helps you understand grace-based parenting or how to raise your children gracefully. Comment down and share your views on the same. For more such content, connect with us through all social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!

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