The Imperfect Parent

In so many ways it feels like we’ve lost our bearings. What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be a mum? Questions that seemed obvious a generation ago seem almost impossible to answer today. Is there even any difference between what it means to be a mum or a dad? Does the Bible have anything to say? Today sharing a heart to ‘stay at home’ for the sake of raising kids is likely to be...

I say ‘masculinity’. You say… ‘toxic’. For many, masculinity in the west is in crisis. Young men are increasingly isolated, drifting and angry. According to one recent report, 65% of men aged 18-23yrs surveyed agreed with the statement that, ‘no one really knows me well.’ The same report found that 44% of all men reported having had thoughts of suicide in the prior two weeks. That’s right, 44%. (S...

Perhaps nothing is more discouraging than when a child continues to be unresponsive and even defiant despite our best attempt at parenting them. It’s easy as a parent to feel completely exasperated and out of options. Yet the Bible paints a picture that is even worse than we like to believe. Our kids wrestle not just with bad behaviour: they are spiritually dead apart from Christ! Our kids need so...

Want to buy something? With Amazon Prime delivery you can have your shopping at home in the space of a few hours. What if it’s too expensive? With a little double click on your phone, you can ‘buy now and pay later’ or use a myriad of different credit cards.   We live in a culture of immediate gratification. Even boredom is something that can be quickly escaped with an endless stream of video...

A quick flashback to suburban Australia in the 1970’s & 1980s reveals a very different experience of childhood. Even as late as the 1990s it was not uncommon to see children playing unsupervised in the street and being tasked with significant responsibility outside of the home. For most children the experience of childhood was marked by play with peers, adventures and growing independence. Fas...

Over the past 40yrs the world has drastically changed. Firstly, there’s been a massive decline in the number of people having children. In Sydney over 90% of suburbs have a birth rate that is below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. Secondly, there’s been a huge shift in the way we think about parenting. With fewer and fewer children, it’s increasingly common to approach the task of p...

Over and over again studies have shown a strong correlation between physical discipline and mental health challenges. Yet at the same time many parents and teachers alike experience a sense of exasperation at the rapid rise in disrespectful and defiant behaviour amongst school aged children. Is physical discipline a relic of the past for the Christian parent? What does the Bible have to teach abou...

We live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. For the average Sydney family it can feel like a challenge just to make ends meet let alone even thinking about taking time off work.   In 21st century Sydney the ‘stay-at-home Mum’ feels like a phenomenon from a bygone era. Not even a possibility today. Yet at the same time many parents feel great guilt about the amount of time they h...

We live in an age of anxiety, so it's little surprise that as parents we can find ourselves plagued with fears. Fears like ‘our kids missing out’, or, somehow causing them ‘irreparable damage’ can be paralysing!  For other parents, our fears don’t loom as large as our many failures. As parents we can find ourselves feeling heavy with guilt and shame! The truth is that causing harm t...

In this very first episode, Dave & Emma Taylor share their journey into parenthood along with their many highs and lows over the past 22 years. Along the way the team reflect on their different experiences growing up and the influence they’ve had in shaping them as the parents they are today. Timestamps: (00:50) – Another podcast on parenting? (06:18) – The journey to parenthood  (13:42)...

On June 12 we’re launching our new podcast: The Imperfect Parent. Whether you feel ‘on top of your game’, or you’re ‘struggling to survive’ as a parent, this podcast is imperfect parents talking to imperfect parents about how the grace of Jesus can help you not only survive but thrive in parenting. Coming Soon: The Imperfect Parent Brendan Willis, Dave Taylor, Emma Taylor