Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp
Week 10: Chapter 9 — Foolishness
Read Chapter 9 of Parenting by Paul David Tripp. See also Proverbs 22:15.
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Tripp draws from the book of Proverbs to name what is actually driving your child's difficult behavior — and the answer is more theological and more hopeful than you might expect.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Tripp uses the biblical category of "foolishness" (from Proverbs) to describe the default orientation of a child's heart. How does the biblical meaning of foolishness — living as if there is no God who sees and rules — differ from our common use of the word to mean "silly" or "unwise"?
2.He argues that much of what frustrates parents — defiance, selfishness, dishonesty, impulsivity — is not just immaturity but is the outworking of a heart that has not yet been captured by the fear of the Lord. Does naming it this way change how you feel or respond in those moments?
3.Tripp draws on Proverbs 22:15 — "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child" — to make the case that parents should not be surprised by foolish behavior. How does having accurate expectations of your child (they will act foolishly) reduce your anger and sharpen your intentionality?
a.What behaviors in your child most often catch you off guard or overwhelm you with frustration?
b.How does naming those behaviors as "foolishness" rather than personal affronts change your emotional response?
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