I haven’t finished this book yet, but I really wanted to address something that I read in the reviews of this book. Someone commented that this book denigrates parents who work. Though I can’t speak for the author himself, I can try to explain what I believe he is saying.
When he says that today, many parents are choosing to work rather than take care of their children, I don’t think he is talking about the ones that HAVE to work. There are many couples who need two incomes, and that’s totally ok. The Bible never says “one parent must stay home with the child.” What I believe he is referring to is the new cultural norm of women needing careers to feel validated and have a “real job.” I’m not saying that women can’t work. What I’m saying is that being a stay at home parent is a REAL job. A 24/7 never ending job. What I truly believe the author is saying is that parents should, if possible, raise their own children. Sometimes, it’s not. However, sometimes parents are on the hunt for having a big house, a successful career, all these material things instead of focusing on parenting. When in reality, they could scale back - live in a smaller home, drive an older car, etc. - and afford to have one parent stay home or maybe just work part time to raise their child.
My goal in this post is not to make working moms feel bad. I can see how what the author wrote could be offensive - but I truly don’t think he meant it in that way. I do think it could be a wake up call to some who are working not for God’s glory but for excessive money, success, etc. But so far I do love this book. It has helped me to refocus my parenting on Him and especially His grace. Would definitely recommend.
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