Christian parent, you love your child. You've read the books, tried the strategies, attended the conferences-and you still feel like you're failing. You're not alone.
Research on attachment theory shows that a parent who gets it right about 30 percent of the time can raise a secure, healthy child. Thirty percent. That's good news.
Good Enough Parent offers eighteen shame-free, biblically grounded tips that draw on the gospel, neuroscience, and attachment theory to help you become the parent your teen or tween needs. Not a perfect parent. A good enough one-a very different goal.
You'll discover:
- Why trying harder to be more like Jesus may be making things worse
- What your child is subconsciously asking every single day-and how your answer changes everything
- How the gospel speaks directly into the chaos of adolescence
- Why your own sense of being loved matters more to your parenting than any technique
- The two subconscious questions that your child is asking 24/7
Only God is the perfect parent. You were never meant to be. But you were meant to depend on Him. That changes everything.
"I am now more able to step back when we have arguments and not get so offended."
"The most beneficial reminder was that I just need to get 30% right."
Dr. Bill Senyard is an award-winning author, pastor, speaker, and parent who has spent decades working with families. He believes God's love is for the unlovable, the unloved, the unlovely, the unworthy, the hurting, and the unlikely-which means there is hope for every parent. Bill and his wife live in the Denver area.
Industry Reviews
Reviewed by Karen Tolentino for Readers' Favorite
Good Enough Parent by Dr Bill Senyard is the kind of parenting book you didn't know you needed until the weight of raising a teenager finally humbles you. Written by a pastor and a once-teen parent, this book is structured in a common style called list form with a little twist. He combines three unconventional elements, such as the gospel, neuroscience, and storytelling, to deliver a core message on teen and tween parenting: the goal of Christian parenting is never perfection. His central premise is both disarming and freeing: attachment psychologists suggest parents only need to "get it right" about 30% of the time, and build their entire framework depending on God's grace. Organized into 18 concise tips, the book moves with refreshing efficiency through topics like teen brain development, attachment styles, the art of genuine forgiveness, and what it actually looks like rather than simply trying harder. The consistent tone of the book is warm and self-aware, clearly written from the trenches, not from a pedestal.
Where the book truly stands out is in its refusal to pile on shame that so many parenting resources inadvertently deliver. The unwavering anchor of what the author calls the "Simple Uncluttered Gospel" is deliberate to reassure every reader that God's love for every single one of us is unconditional-including our flaws and mistakes. Also, each tip introduced offers a possible solution that may work depending on the dynamics of the parent-child relationship. So, it is highly likely that an aspiring parent can find the appropriate solutions to try. The tips are practical, simple, and actionable. Another aspect of this book is the author's writing style. In the beginning, rather than the typical setting of his authority as "the expert", he openly acknowledges that he is struggling himself and never claims that he is better than others. This humble opening allows the reader to be less intimidated by what he is about to read. For any parent and carers who have ever whispered, 'Am I good enough?' into the dark, this book is definitely for you.
