Biblical Answer

To love your neighbor as yourself in modern parenting means to display a set of behaviors that reflect love and care for your children. It is not about feeling a certain way or having a certain affection for your child, but rather about treating them with kindness, respect, and compassion. This means being patient, understanding, and supportive, even when your child is not behaving in a way that is easy to love. As Jesus taught in the parable of the Good Samaritan, loving your neighbor as yourself means showing practical care and concern for their well-being, even if you don't feel like it.

In modern parenting, this means being willing to serve and sacrifice for your child's benefit, even when it's hard or inconvenient. It means being present and engaged with your child, listening to them, and validating their feelings. It means being willing to make difficult decisions and set boundaries, not because you don't love your child, but because you do love them and want what's best for them. This is not about manufacturing feelings of affection or love, but about choosing to act in a way that reflects love and care for your child.

Ultimately, loving your neighbor as yourself in modern parenting means being willing to put your child's needs before your own, even when it's difficult or uncomfortable. It means being willing to serve and sacrifice, not because you feel like it, but because it's the right thing to do. As Augustine said, we cannot both love ourselves first and foremost and love God first and foremost. In the same way, we cannot both love ourselves first and foremost and love our child first and foremost. When we put our child's needs before our own, we are reflecting the love and care of God, and we are teaching our child the importance of putting others before ourselves. This is the heart of loving your neighbor as yourself in modern parenting.