Parenting by Paul David Tripp
Week 4: Principle 3 — You Parent Before an Audience of One
Read Chapter 3 of Parenting by Paul David Tripp.
Previewing Week 4 of Parenting
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 17-week guide when you’re ready.
One of the most liberating and convicting ideas in this book is that God — not the other parents at church, not your own mother, not the parenting books on your shelf — is the only audience that matters. Let this principle examine your motivations honestly.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Tripp describes the way parents often perform for a social audience — adjusting their parenting based on who is watching. When have you caught yourself parenting differently in public than in private? What drove that difference?
2.He argues that parenting before an "audience of one" (God) is both the most freeing and most demanding standard. How is it freeing? How is it more demanding than performing for other people?
3.Tripp is especially pointed about the danger of parenting to manage your own reputation through your children. What does it look like when a parent's concern is primarily "What will people think of me?" rather than "What does my child need?"
a.Can you identify moments when that concern has driven your responses?
b.How did your children experience you in those moments?