Have you heard the news? Helicopter parenting is out. “Snowplow parenting” is all the rage. According to a recent New York Times article, snowplow parents clear every obstacle out of their kids’ paths so they don’t have to experience uncomfortable things like failure or disappointment. Snowplowing can be as simple as driving in a forgotten homework assignment, or as extreme as bribing a college admissions official.
I hate to admit how easily “snowplowing” comes to me. I’m constantly tempted to make my kids’ lives as easy as possible. Is that bad? According to the New York Times article: Yes. Snowplow parenting doesn’t give your kids opportunities to learn from their failures so they can become independent, productive citizens.
That’s very true. But there’s a deeper reason snowplowing is bad for our children. As Christian parents, our objective goes beyond worldly success. Sure, we want kids who can “adult” well. But we’re equipping them for more than adulthood; we’re equipping them to live the Christian life. The Christian life involves suffering.
As we teach our kids the gospel, we must give them a biblical lens for suffering. Our ultimate goal is not a comfortable, pain-free life. Our goal is to use
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