I met two bloggers online just before I became a mother. Those two godly women changed the trajectory of my parenting. I’ve told my daughter many times that she owes so much to Karen and Brenda because they showed me how to parent in a gracious, thoughtful, and intuitive way.

Here are three of the best pieces of parenting advice that I learned from them and can pass along now that I’m nearing the end of my own homeschooling journey.

1. Ask God to direct your decisions and choices every day. Ask Him to help you understand how He created your particular child’s needs and gifts. Regularly ask Him to give you wisdom and discernment so you do not mess up your child.
2. Find a couple of godly mothers (or fathers) further along than you with a few key characteristics. These include: (1) the obvious presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives that reveals itself in both peace and joy, (2) a warm and loving relationship with their children, and (3) a profound understanding of the truth about the one-anothering verses in the Bible applying not just to adults but all family relationships.
3. Trust your gut and God’s guidance, even when it conflicts with the traditional or accepted views of how to parent children in the church. We found very little helpful advice in the actual church building. We had to seek out other mature Christians who had not bought into the cookie cutter advice so often dispensed that does not produce good fruit. We made choices people didn’t understand and even looked down on us for, but we knew we were correct. Be willing to go against the flow to do what is right for your particular child and your particular family.

Find a Karen and a Brenda in your life to help you be a better parent.

I’ve seen some truly awful parenting advice lately from individuals with large Christian platforms. There is a reason my category for this content is Gracious Christian Parenting. There is a lot of Graceless Christian Parenting advice flying around and my heart breaks for the children who will suffer as a result of it.

It doesn’t have to be that way. There is a better way for Christian families.