Parenting by Paul David Tripp
Week 6: Principle 5 — You Parent a Person, Not a Behavior
Read Chapter 5 of Parenting by Paul David Tripp.
Previewing Week 6 of Parenting
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 17-week guide when you’re ready.
One of Tripp's most repeated convictions is that behavior is never the bottom line — the heart always is. This week's principle invites you to look beneath the surface of your child's actions and ask the deeper question.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Tripp insists that behavior is always a symptom — the heart is always the root. What does he mean by this, and why does it matter that we understand it as parents?
2.He describes two different parenting approaches: one that focuses on outward conformity and one that aims at heart transformation. What does each look like in daily practice? What does each produce in a child over time?
3.Tripp is clear that only God can change a heart. If that is true, what is the parent's actual job in the process of a child's transformation?
a.What tools has God given parents to participate in that work?
b.What would it look like to use those tools faithfully without trying to do God's part?