#380 The Dark Side of Gentle Parenting: What Viral Influencers Get Wrong | Brett & Erin Kunkle
The Alisa Childers Podcast
Alisa Childers
4.9 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 31 May 2026
⏱️ 70 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Gentle parenting is everywhere—but is it biblical?
In this episode, I’m joined by Brett and Erin Kunkle of Maven to ask what’s really underneath one of today’s most popular parenting movements. Is gentle parenting just a kinder, more compassionate approach—or is it built on a worldview that quietly redefines sin, authority, discipline, and the role of parents?
We talk about the overlap between gentle parenting, progressive theology, critical theory, and expressive individualism. We also ask the big question: Who gets the final word in our homes—God and His Word, or our children and their feelings?
Brett and Erin help us break down the assumptions behind the movement, respond to popular gentle parenting videos, and explain why this conversation matters for parents, grandparents, pastors, teachers—and anyone who cares about the next generation.
The Truth About Gentle Parenting e-book: https://equip.maventruth.com/gentle-parenting-ebook
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Is gentle parenting a biblical approach? Is there an overlap between progressive theology and gentle parenting? |
| 0:17.3 | Who is our ultimate authority when it comes to raising our kids? Is it God and His Word or our children and their feelings? |
| 0:24.5 | Is there a connection between gentle parenting and the growing number of adult children cutting off their parents? |
| 0:30.8 | Is gentle parenting just another avenue for critical theory to infiltrate our culture? |
| 0:36.2 | Why does every person, whether or not they are a parent, |
| 0:39.7 | need to care about the gentle parenting conversation? Well, we're covering all these questions |
| 0:44.2 | and many more with my guests, Brett and Aaron Kunkel of Maven Truth Ministries in our episode |
| 0:49.8 | brought to you today by WeHeart Nutrition, a family-owned supplement company with high integrity, |
| 0:56.0 | the absolute highest quality, and Christian values. Take the quiz today to see what supplements |
| 1:00.8 | might help you in your phase of life by going to weheartnutrition.com. Use my code Alisa for 20% |
| 1:07.6 | off your first order. All right, we're going to cover a lot of ground in today's episode, |
| 1:12.2 | and I realize that this can be a bit of a touchy subject. So I want to just say right off the bat |
| 1:17.7 | that as parents, we are in this all together, and there's no such thing as a perfect parent. |
| 1:23.9 | But as Christian parents, we are called to teach our kids' truth, to raise them in the discipline |
| 1:29.8 | and instruction of the Lord, as it says in Ephesion 6.4. We're also called to not provoke them to anger, |
| 1:36.4 | as it also says in Ephesion 64, but also Colossians 321. So today, in the episode, we're going |
| 1:42.3 | to be pushing back against gentle parenting culture. |
| 1:45.5 | But I want to say right off the bat that we're not saying that parents should react with an |
| 1:50.1 | opposite extreme. We should be patient with our kids, love our kids, be encouraging to our kids, |
| 1:55.8 | but we are also called to discipline our kids. And the reason this matters for everyone is because the way |
| 2:02.2 | we bring up our kids as a culture will ultimately shape the culture of the next generation. |
| 2:08.0 | So I want to tell you a little bit about my guests. Brett and Aaron Kunkel of Maven are my favorite |
... |
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