Stay Tuned for Wisdom from Dr. Leonard Sax!

Wisdom from The Collapse of Parenting

For Dr. Leonard Sax, the parenting command has been replaced by a question mark today. In his recent New York Times bestseller, The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups, the effects of diluted parental authority are sweeping. He cites rising anxiety, depression, dropout, obesity, and medication rates in children, for instance. Meanwhile, American schools, patent rates, and job placement statistics are plummeting in international rankings. In other words, we’re in trouble.

These effects are so sweeping because the current vacuum of healthy authority doesn’t stop with parents — it’s also spilling over into our schools and faith-based institutions. As a result, culture’s “Live for Now” mentality is going largely unchallenged, children are increasingly looking to their peers rather than to adults for approval, and parents are prone to preparing their children simply for more school, rather than life. In response to this collapse, Dr. Sax argues for a healthy reassertion of parental authority so that children can get the very things they might not even know they’re hungry for — grounding, humility, and most importantly, valuable character building.

This week, I’m delighted to interview Dr. Sax in a HomeTowne TV episode special for Chaos to Calm. Join me in understanding how we can navigate this concerning parenting dilemma with practical tips from an expert. Dr. Sax is a father, board-certified family physician, psychologist, and research-based author of several books who has been on multiple national media news outlets. You can watch this Chaos to Calm episode late month on demand via my blog or on HomeTowne TV (Channel 33/Verizon and 36/Comcast) in NJ.

Also, I will be preaching on Dr. Sax’s book this Sunday, April 15, at the contemporary WAVE worship service at Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, NJ, where I am Parish Associate. Local friends, please come to the auditorium at 5 PM and bring a friend! And stay tuned for the on demand link to watch the sermon here as well. You will not want to miss out on Dr. Sax's wisdom. It has deeply impacted my parenting!

My post will also appear on Central Church's website this week.