Short answer
Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp, is a widely read book arguing that parenting should target a child’s heart, not merely manage their behavior — the same conviction this site is built on. Our founder has read it in full and recommends it. This page is his personal recommendation, not yet the complete, structured review our own standards call for, and no rating is shown until that full review is written.
Key takeaways
- Our founder has read this book in full and recommends it.
- Its central thesis — target the heart, not just behavior — is the same conviction this entire site is built on.
- This is a personal recommendation, not a completed review. See how we review.
- Tedd Tripp is the author — not to be confused with his brother Paul David Tripp, author of Age of Opportunity, also recommended on this site.
- Title
- Shepherding a Child's Heart
- Author
- Tedd Tripp
- Written for
- Parents of children of any age
- Our rating
- Not rated yet. Our founder has read this book in full, but the complete written review isn't finished. See his recommendation above in the meantime.
- Affiliate relationship
- None currently. If an affiliate link (for example, to a retailer) is added later, it will be disclosed here.
Why we’re recommending it
Our founder has read Shepherding a Child’s Heart in full and recommends it. Its central argument — that parenting is fundamentally about reaching a child’s heart, not merely managing their outward behavior — is the same conviction this entire website is built on. It’s part of why “More Than a Filter” exists as a name and a thesis: technology and rules can shape behavior for a season, but lasting change requires the heart, and ultimately the gospel.
Who is it for
Parents of children of any age looking for the theological and practical foundation behind heart-focused parenting, which pairs naturally with this site’s own guidance on what to do when a child is watching porn.
A note on the author
Tedd Tripp is the author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart. He’s the brother of Paul David Tripp, author of the also-recommended Age of Opportunity, which focuses specifically on the teenage years — two different books by two brothers, easy to mix up, both recommended here.
Similar resources
- Age of Opportunity — the teen-years-specific counterpart to this book’s broader framework.
Sources and further reading
- Pastoral wisdom The recommendation on this page is our founder's own, based on having read the book in full.
- Expert opinion The book itself: Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Labels show what kind of source each is: Biblical teaching Scripture and biblical teaching, Research empirical research, Expert opinion expert or organizational guidance, Pastoral wisdom pastoral wisdom, Our recommendation this site's own recommendation. How we research and label sources.