The answer to the question of why do Christian kids rebel can only be answered through proper comprehension of parenting style. There are four basic parenting styles – permissive, uninvolved, authoritative and authoritarian. These parenting styles determine whether or not your child will become rebellious.
1. Uninvolved Parenting Style
Parents who don’t actively participate in their children’s lives are referred to as uninvolved. They don’t seem to have a specific plan in place for their actions. A child’s emotional needs may be masked if they aren’t met on a physical level.
2. Permissive Parenting Style
A permissive parent uses a child-led approach. Parents who approach this philosophy hold the view that no matter what you do, kids will always be kids and that they should be allowed to make their decisions about the little and big things in life.
3. Authoritative Parenting Style
Rules and punishments are important to authoritative parents because they want to build trusting relationships with children. In authoritative families, parents are conscious of their authority; however, they also pay attention to their children’s emotional needs.
4. Authoritarian Parenting Style
Authoritarian parents tend to be rigid in their approach to household management. Parents’ rule is ultimate in the house, and children’s viewpoints are rarely taken into account, leading to an atmosphere of hatred, rage, and terror.
When dealing with disobedience, the authoritarian approach to parenting may be the most difficult of the four. Deceptive behavior is not uncommon among youngsters raised under this kind of parenting. As children attempt to obey their parents’ values, they may feel a sense of rejection. When this is combined with a child’s religious upbringing, it can lead to resentment toward parents and the values they uphold.
· Should You Use the Bible as a Fear Tactic?
Many people claim that they came to faith in Christ as a result of their apprehension of eternal punishment in Hell. They said “yes” to God with trembling hands at a church service. The same is done in some homes, although more indirectly. “What would Jesus say if he were here?” or “What do you believe the Lord would do if he saw you commit a crime?” these types of questions are used to guide actions. As a result, the Bible becomes a fear-inducing tool. Children are taught to avoid provoking the wrath of God by doing the right thing.
Instead of youngsters seeing the Word as a guide for life, it ends up becoming the cause of their problems. However, God was never meant to be a weapon in a parent’s toolbox. There is a risk that teenagers will reject a God who appears harsh and merciless.
· Is Your Family More Preoccupied with Rules than Relationships?
Even though most students come from Christian families, almost all of them think that their religious beliefs were imposed on them and that there was a lot they didn’t understand. They could all recite passages from the Bible, yet they all agreed that they felt disconnected from God. This was not a call to abolish the practice of making children go to church. As a result, they never developed a personal relationship with God since they were so focused on learning about the Bible. They were well-versed in the rules but not in the art of developing a more meaningful connection with one another. They were aware of the consequences of not following the Lord, but they didn’t believe in the reward of having a relationship with Him.
Two out of every five children raised in Christian homes tend to leave the faith. It’s not enough to raise children in church. They must be brought up in a Christian home where they know who they can turn to for help. Their relationship with God must be more than a weekly outing on Sunday.
· Is Your Child Being Over-Sheltered?
This is one of the most complex decisions a parent must make. As a parent, you have an obligation to protect your child. It’s hard to know what’s suitable in today’s media-driven environment of cyber bullying and sex trafficking. Christian parents must seek God’s guidance for each of their children to make an informed decision. This may necessitate permitting some things to happen earlier than previously discussed, such as dating or social networking, but with limits. You may overprotect your children in an effort to shield them from the real world; however, you must remember that they will eventually have to face similar situations. Depending on their age, it’s safer to give independence to a student while they’re still living with you. Otherwise, they will rebel against their values. Once they have graduated from high school, it may be too late to provide them privileges or provide guidance.
Responsible Christian parenting includes knowing when and how to introduce privileges and freedom, and having the courage to explain their reasoning when the answer is “no.” Most parents open the door to resentment, and children who feel unheard tend to rebel. Children begin to regard the Bible’s prohibitions on certain activities as why they aren’t as free as their friends, which creates a dislike for it. There are many ways to watch your child’s interactions via apps that keep us up to date in today’s technologically-driven society. However, parents must examine their own motives and reasons for their decisions.
· Is It Abusive to Want to Be Respected?
You should ask yourself a serious question. If you’ve ever tried to get your child to do the right thing, you know how exhausting and frustrating it can be. However, they don’t want to be aggressive, they just want to be respected. Angry behavior such as calling someone names, making degrading gestures, and abusing them might invoke them to rebel.
Extreme punishment makes children afraid to make mistakes. They tend to run the other way as soon as they have the chance. Abuse of any kind, even in the name of God, is inexcusable. If you are unclear about how to discipline your children, you need to seek professional advice.
Final Words
And that’s a wrap on why do some Christian kids rebel. Make sure to seek the help of the Bible to bring up your kids in a pleasant manner. If you use the word of God as a source of punishment, your child won’t learn anything and will rebel against you.
