The Fearful Parent

The controlling, absent, or angry parent all share a common problem—fear. In this audio talk, Winston Smith explores how fear shapes our parenting and how faith in God frees us to parent in faith and love. Smith begins with a description of fearful parenting and broadens the definition beyond mere emotions. Fearful parenting is about motives, not emotions; parenting out of concerns not informed by God and the hope of the gospel. Smith introduces three ways that fearful parenting manifests in daily life, often in subtle ways. He concludes with four ways to parent as alternatives to other fear-based approaches and offers guidance and encouragement for parents trying to grow.