When Parents Aren't Enough

According to a recent article in the Atlantic, a growing number of parents wish they'd never had kids. Citing surveys of parents from America, Germany, and Poland, the article points to various reasons for the regret, but Polish researcher Konrad Piotrowski says that the overriding cause is feelings of inadequacy. Or, as a researcher from Belgium put it, "They don't want to be a parent, because they are not able to be the perfect parent." Parenting on social media is one source of that pressure, along with the fact that for many families, the state has taken the place of core institutions (namely, churches) that once provided essential support to parents. Theologian Abraham Kuyper suggested that God created various spheres of culture, like government and family, church and education, with specific roles and responsibilities. When one or more of these roles and responsibilities are either abandoned or bloated, it puts undue pressure on the other spheres. Individuals and families are feeling this pressure, and unsustainable. It's also an incredible opportunity for the church to take the lead in a better way.