The Flourishing Family

A Jesus-Centered Guide to Parenting with Peace and Purpose

By: David Erickson, Amanda Erickson

Narrated by: Amanda Erickson, David Erickson

When it comes to Christian parenting, we crave confidence, wisdom, and―most of all―peace.

We pray for peace when our little ones are tossed about by waves of emotions, for connection and confidence when navigating stressful mornings and exhausting nights, and for wisdom in knowing how best to discipline our kids. As Christian parents, we’re desperate to “get it right,” to raise our children to be strong, courageous followers of Jesus―and yet, despite the overload of endless advice at our fingertips, we often feel completely and utterly lost.

You can become the parent Christ has called you to be―and change your home and family from the inside out. In The Flourishing Family, Dr. David and Amanda Erickson offer a new parenting perspective―one that cultivates peace, gentleness, and confidence. Deeply rooted in Scripture and backed by modern neuroscience as well as insight into child development, their book will equip you to

• rethink common assumptions about what the Bible says about parenting―and align your parenting approach with the teachings of Jesus and your identity in Him,
• cultivate the inner peace needed to lead and guide your family with Christ, and His grace, at the center,
• critically assess various gentle parenting principles through a Gospel lens so that you can respond to your child with understanding and patience, honoring the divine image and unique personality God created them to have, and
• use compassionate discipline as discipleship to focus on the heart behind your child’s actions, addressing the developmental or neurological roots of their behavior rather than merely correcting or punishing their actions or choices.

Your legacy is not defined by your parenting perfection but by your commitment to follow in the way of Jesus and to trust His Spirit to cultivate the seeds you’re diligently planting throughout your children’s lives. Trust that He will meet you in this audiobook―and that He will transform your hearts and home.

©2024 David Erickson and Amanda Erickson (P)2024 Tyndale House Publishers

Jesus Centered Parenting Paradigm Shift!

I've read every parenting book and this one tops them all for several reasons. One being that it's the ONLY one I've come across that is truly biblically aligned and Jesus centered. The importance of this book simply cannot be overstated.

The authors lay out clearly and powerfully (and with Scripture to back it up!) how and why parenting like a follower of Jesus is so important. It's not intimidating, it's relatable in so many and hits home on so many areas. Peacemaker parenting is accomplished by nurturing our own relationship with Jesus Christ. I highly recommend this book.

a life changing way to parent

I am so inspired and excited to start implementing these ideas and tools into my parenting. My daughter is only 2 but I know the value of starting young. I cannot express enough my gratitude to the authors. I have been looking for the balance of gentle and Godly parenting and they have articulated it so well in these pages!! this is a book my husband and I will keep coming back to as the years go by!!!

Great Christian parenting book

Refreshing, to the point and practical advice. Thank you. Biblical and Jesus centered approach to discipline for young children. Loved it!

fantastic

Super happy to see this kind of content in the Christian parenting world. Thank you! This is a great and thoughtful read with some practical ideas at a section in the back to keep in your tool box as a parent.

An absolute must for parents!

This book is changing how I'm talking to and interacting with my children. I've always known they were blessings and that they needed to be treated as such but the toddler years are HARD and I felt ill-equipped to handle them despite my years of being a caregiver to other children, and I felt like the books I was reading were either not including Jesus and teaching the Gospel or were not aligned with recent neurological discoveries in how our children's (and humans in general) brains worked, and this books has been the answer to my prayers! I've been listening to this while I wait for my hard copy to come in and I'm so glad I bought both. If you're feeling like something is missing in your parenting and you want a holistic approach to Christian parenting that is both gentle and informative, this is it!! I cannot recommend this enough.

Amazing book

Favorite parenting book to date- an absolute must read! Great content, very relatable and plenty of example scenarios

A book worth basing your parenting philosophy on

Astounding. This book not only gave my wife and I tools to parent differently from how we were parented and in line with God’s wisdom, it was therapeutic for me reflecting on my experience growing up and healing spaces in my heart I wasn’t previously aware needed healing. 11/10 sharing this book with as many people as I can.

Disappointed

Not biblically solid. Really wanted to find a great parenting book. If you are looking for a solid biblical parenting book. This is not it. Really bummed I wasted money on this one.

I really wanted to love this book

I made it a few chapters in and it starts talking about how the Bible isn’t the only form of truth and that we can gain truth from many factors around us (others, nature, experiences) wouldn’t recommend.

Disappointing and Misaligned with Biblical Parenting Principles

I was surprised to see so many positive reviews for this book. While I understand the intention behind its message, I found the approach overly idealistic and impractical for many families. It seems tailored to those who can dedicate their entire day to meticulously managing every interaction their children have. Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t resonate with the realities of working parents or those who believe in balancing nurturing guidance with firm boundaries.

Additionally, I was disappointed to find that the book’s philosophy doesn’t align with biblical principles. It leans heavily into a “gentle parenting” approach that often feels more like catering to children’s every whim rather than fostering mutual respect, discipline, and accountability as outlined in Scripture. This perspective didn’t resonate with my parenting values, and I found the tone both impractical and unhelpful. I regret using an audible credit on a resource that lacks the biblical foundation I was hoping for. Can I get my credit back?