A Short History Lesson on Child-Rearing Trends
I recently revisited a book that John Rosemond authored entitled, “Parenting by the Book.” Do you know that Rosemond did not become a Christian until his early 50’s? That is when his parenting advice became rooted in the Word. Let’s look briefly at the history of child rearing, influenced by cultural trends and norms.
In times past – the early 1900’s to the 50’s and 60’s, there were certain values and word definitions that most folks agreed upon: morality, marriage, the design and functionality of the nuclear family, child-rearing, sanctity of life, and business ethics. As a country, we entered the 60’s as a like-minded culture, for the most part, and by the 70’s, we entered a progressive era where cultural norms were discarded along with the traditions and stability of the past. Rebelling against parental values was accepted as cool and vogue. Everything new was better and that included methods used for child-rearing. The north star was no longer. I was in college and experienced this shift first-hand.
By the mid-1970’s, our American culture had gone from following biblical values to the rejection of absolutes, and the waters of moral clarity were becoming muddy. A disregard and disdain for authority began to surface throughout society. This affected education, the church, and the family (the three-legged stool). The assault on Judeo-Christian principles was beginning to be eroded. C.S. Lewis authored a book foreshadowing how definitions of words could impact an entire civilization, and relativism would lead to a loss of morality and possibly, the downfall of society. The “Abolition of Man” was written in 1943. Wow.
Many drank the Kool-Aid that was being served as progressive secularism. This behavior was mentioned in Judges: man was doing that which was right in his own eyes; man could be his own authority; he knew better. Rather than searching Scripture for biblical principles on child-rearing, parents searched channels on television (the new technology). One such voice was psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers who became a so-called ‘expert’ on human behavior and child-rearing. (Side note: I had this ‘expert’ as a passenger on a flight once. It just so happened that I was working her first-class section, and the boarding agent prepped me that she was “someone important”). Well, she was ‘so important’ that she went through her handler to speak to me. She was rude and demanding, yet she was dispensing important messages on relationships, especially on child-rearing. I was unimpressed with her demeanor and propaganda. Welcome to humanism.
If we dig down to the root of any belief system and examine the effect of those beliefs, we will uncover its worldview. Karl Marx said, “That in order for socialism to succeed, the traditional family had to go.” How alarming! We see this attack on the family being conducted today with a worldview that is perpetuating a lie, and the ramifications are everywhere.
Child-rearing was by no means perfect prior to the 70’s. Perhaps you experienced parents who were harsh and unloving. If so, I am sorry. Please allow God to re-parent you. If this was your experience, your tendency might be to ‘make sure you don’t parent like that’ becoming the opposite extreme. God’s blueprint is conclusive, and it gives you the authority to take on the leadership role as God’s ambassador despite cultural influences that speak opposingly. “Father Knows Best” (as the sitcom in the 50’s/’60’s was titled). Being well-acquainted with your heavenly Father and His Word will be the best north star for your own child-rearing. Where He calls; He equips. Seek, pray, trust. Do the hard things as you take the long view; God believes in you; He gave you children.
