Gene Veith quotes the President of MTV describing this generation as raised by peer-ents not parents:
Millennials’ relationship to authority differs from that of previous generations. Millennials weren’t raised with hierarchical, top-down parenting. They’ve grown up with peer-ents; they’re used to seeing authority figures as equals. Add to that what it means to be born and live within the swarm-power of social media, and you have a potent mix.
Most noteworthy is the description of parents who are peer-ents, that is adults who have not established their authority. They want to be friends with their children not their authorities. This is the cultural air we are raising our children in.
Essential to discipling our children is training them to submit to us. As they grow older that submission transfers to God. If we fail to establish that authority early, then why do we wonder that they reject the rule of God when they are older?
The good news is that God’s way does work. I love the sweeter friendship Sharon and I are having with our older children. But that current friendship was born out of establishing our authority when they were younger.
