Book review: Mindful Parenting (2014)

Book review: Mindful Parenting (2014)

I think I am in the same minds as the publisher, I am truly grateful that Mindful Parenting is finally published in it's current form. I have been training parents in evidence based family behavioural interventions and mindfulness based parenting (PuP) for a number of years, but there was a gap in our understanding of the scientific basis of such approaches.

  It is an easy to read text including an 8 week Mindfulness Parenting course!

My psychological perspective

This text is spot on. It doesn't matter how many skills we provide parents, if they are unable to apply these skills because of emotional stress. And reading through the text, I felt like I was going on a journey with the authors into the development and refinement of the Mindfulness Parenting Course: an 8 week courses detailed in the book complete with handouts. The preliminary evidence shows that it works. Obviously more research is needed, but this is an exciting step.

The Mindfulness Parenting Course is not presented as a mechanical program, but written in such a way as to give insight into the processes of the evolving group program. I love how the authors include the reactions they normally get from parents. It's almost as if I was there with them in the room. And I can definitely picture myself running said group. They also provide a bunch of resources (permission to replicate included :D) to use if one decides to run the program. My critiques of the program.  I really like how the authors have attempted to scientifically study the effectiveness of this program. I like that there is a balance of experience as well as knowledge imparted in the program. I like the encouragement of homework tasks to practice the skills. And I like on follow up, parents continued to improve beyond the program. One of my critques of the program in private practice is that it is a long program, which won't be as big of an issue in the public sector. And personally, I would prefer a greater emphasis on parenting techniques which combine well with the mindfulness based approach, but this wasn't a positive parenting program, it was a mindfulness based parenting program.

I would recommend this book to those who have already been exposed to evidence-based mindfulness approaches, and those interesting in enhancing their parenting skills.

My Christian perspective

Mindfulness parenting just makes sense. We were created differently to animals, and traditional behavioural approaches uses the same strategies to train dogs. Well, it works, kind of, at least in principle it works, and for most parents it does. But it's missing something. And I think Mindfulness Parenting fills that gap well.

My overall rating: 

Superior
This is a fantastic resource or was an extremely great use of time.

 I do rarely give out a superior rating for my reviews. But this book definitely deserves one. This is one of the resources used in developing the Raising Tweens and Teens group in my clinic later this year. This is not really an academic text, but targets those who are already practicing mindfulness. I will be sharing this resource with my psychology students and with some of the parents I am working with.

I guess my interest also stems from parents asking me for an alternative to what is available on the market. And it's still evolving. A lot of my clients are parents struggling with the behaviours of their children (ADHD, challenging behaviours from ASD, self harm, substance use, aggression). This text definitely is one step in the right direction.

Please stay tuned for a new program called: Raising Tweens and Teens: Positive and mindful parenting which I will be running late 2014. It combines Mindfulness Parenting with Family Behavioural Intervention. It is a five session program with ongoing follow up sessions every 6 months as needed. For more information, please contact the clinic or visit www.couragepsyc.com.au/groups.

  This book is available from Springer, Amazon and other online retailers.

I was provided with a review copy of this book but was not otherwise influenced in my review. 

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Book review: Mindful Discipline (2014) Sneek Peak!

 

Book review: Mindful Discipline (2014) 

The authors open the book with describing children as seeds, undeveloped, but one day may grow into spectacular plants. Parents are seen as gardeners, and while there is little we can do to make the plant grow faster, we can provide these little plants with nourishment, we can help to prune the plants.

Parents and clients often ask me the key to my calmness, even when things are out of control. It's practice and experience. And tonnes of practice in mindfulness.

My psychological perspective

While CBT and Triple P may be Gold Star treatments in their own rights, today's technology and research has been largely pushing third wave therapies. Mindfulness based CBT, mindfulness based parenting to name a few. And these new approaches have great application in clients who connect with this framework, while for other clients, it will be a big turn off. 

The book is loosely based on a wealth of knowledge about attachment, mindfulness, parent training and child development. My previous training through Parents Under Pressure was reflected well in this self-help book for parents. Mindfulness is something that is mostly taught with experience. But this book does this quite well on paper! Nothing new is under the sun. But different ways of presenting and packaging information connects to different people.

I love the detail of the formal mindfulness practices at the end of each chapter. I think parents will get most out of this book if they are reading it alongside others, and able to share their learning and practices together.

My Christian perspective

I sometimes struggle with the mindfulness approach which was originally inspired by buddist zen. But I have seen it work again and again with my clients. If we removed the stigma associated with it's origins, and simply as a technique to build psychological flexibility, I believe it contradicts my beliefs less. I explain to clients that it's about building psychological flexibility about focusing on the past, and the future, and on the present. 

The book

My overall rating: 

Excellent
This is a very useful resource or a decent use of time.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but will be a winner for some struggling parents. The book is a bit wordy, but if you can bare with the slow pace, I'm sure you will get something out of it! Take the journey, I'm hopeful that the process will be rewarding for most parents who connect with the ideas. 

Mindful discipline will be available from 1 June 2014 from leading retailers including Amazon.

I was provided with a review copy ahead of publication.

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Book review: Raising boys with ADHD (2012) by Forgan and Richey

Book Review:  Raising boys with ADHD (2012) by Forgan and Richey

While ADHD presentations are becoming more common in my clinic, I have been searching for an easy to understand the helpful guide for parents. Kids with ADHD- hyperactive subtype diagnoses are sometimes struggling in the school environment both academically and socially because they are simply too interested - IN EVERYTHING at the SAME TIME.
I have a bunch of beautiful parents who have worked so hard at making things work for their children that they are exhausted. To be honest, a session with a child with ADHD can be exhausting trying to keep up with the many interests they may have.
This book is really empathetic to the struggles parents will go through. And provides really practical tips for parents.

This book is helpful in that it's got a separate chapter for each period of development. 

My psychological perspective:

I loved how it went through the basic psychoeducation about ADHD in a conversational way with parents. A parent didn't intentionally cause ADHD, it is primarily described as a neurological disorder- causing an individual to have difficulties sitting still, paying attention and controlling behaviour. Accepting a diagnosis of ADHD is difficult for parents- the authors take time to address some myths and common questions parents may have. I particularly liked the idea of templates of writing letters to family members and teachers, letting them know the impact of the diagnoses, and what would be useful for the child.

Next, the book provides details of the available treatment options. Most parents are concerned about the use of medication. And the book goes through some of the research in the area, and how this works with behavioural therapy and working memory training. I particularly liked the detail surrounding parenting training, something I usually find to be effective with my parent clients.

Splitting the implications for children at different ages is quite helpful. Strategies useful at younger ages may not work for older ages, and visa versa. For example, fidget toys for younger children may not work as well in older teens.

The book isn't designed for an Australian audience but the strategies will be equally useful here. In Chapter 6, you will need to seek more localised information. A first step may be to talk to your child's teachers and school staff to find out about what support is available.

This is definitely one of the books I will start to recommend to some of my parent clients. I recommend using the book in conjunction with the advices from your doctor and psychologist. 

My Christian Perspective:

From my own personal christian perspective, I believe God loves all his little children. And God loves children with problems with attention and hyperactivity. ADHD is just a label that helps professionals communicate a cluster of difficulties a child is having. If you remove the label, quite often you have a beautiful child that is simply too interested and has too much energy compared to other children.

As someone in children's ministry, I try my best to connect to each child. To praise them for their strengths and help them in their weaknesses. And this book, I believe is a powerful resource for parents. 

My overall rating: 

Excellent
This is a very useful resource or a decent use of time. 

Why hesitate? Get started with this helpful little book today. Available on Amazon and other online retailers  

Note. I have been sent these review copies from the publishers which have not influenced my opinion in this review. 

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Book review: Best friends and mean girls (2008) WIN!

Book Review:  Talking with Your Daughter About Best Friends and Mean Girls (8 Great Dates) (2008) by Dannah Gresh

Looking for ways to broach hard subjects with your tween daughter? Looking for ideas for activities to get closer to her?

Although this book has a lot of focus about God, it still works great if you ignore the spiritual references. Teaching your daughter that Love is patient, kind, bears all things.

I have started letting parents read this book in the waiting room of my practice.

My psychological perspective:

Suitability for tweens: 

Talking to your daughters about these subjects is perhaps more effective in the tween years than later in life. Research shows that strong parent-child relationships and firm guidance about certain behaviours are protective for offspring. It's a great and fun way to begin to talk to your daughters about difficult topics. Some ideas included in the book include having a slumber party, going on a shopping spree, doing random acts of kindness to others. All these are great ways to spend quality time with your girls.

Main topics the book covers includes: what real friendship looks like, how to be a nice neighbour, friendships with best friends, how to deal with mean friends, parents, siblings and boys. Wow.

I like how the book is really interactive with tonnes of activities, technology bits you and your daughter can listen to and spaces to put down thoughts and notes.

For children:

Topics here are less relevant for younger children, but the ideas to spend time with your daughters still apply. There are even sections with adjustment for younger children. 

My Christian Perspective:

There is a large focus and assumption that readers are christians. But I believe the content is not necessarily directed as such. Any daughter/mother can benefit from learning that love is patient, love is kind, love doesn't gossip, love trusts, love endures. But it's an added bonus for Christian daughters and parents to be able to reflect on the many blessings that God has given. And it also offers specific prayer requests you may have. 

My overall rating: 

Excellent
This is a very useful resource or a decent use of time. 

I liked it, it has some really great ideas for spending time with your tweens. I didn't think all the topics were relevant for all girls, but this is still a worthwhile read for parents, even if it was in the waiting room. 

I was provided with a signed copy from the author- Good reads. It retails for $13.00 a Big W, you can also obtain copies from Amazon and the publisher's website. 

And here's your opportunity to get a copy. The publisher has given me a copy to give away!

HOW TO ENTER. 

Simple fill in the form to enter (If you don't  like Rafflecopter, you can just comment below to enter). Be sure to enter your email address so I can contact you if you win!

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I was provided a review copy by the publisher but was in no way paid for writing this review. 

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NEW GIVEAWAY! Interview with Author Dr Helen Wright

Interview with author Dr Helen Wright: Decoding Your 21st Century Daughter

To celebrate the launch of Decoding your 21st Century Daughter, I had a chat with author Dr Helen Wright. On the phone, Helen is such a lovely character, someone I would love to have as an educator.

Interview: 
Dr Helen Wright is a leading educator and expert commentator on education and parenting. She has won numerous awards as both an educator. She is currently the head of Ascham School, a prestigious girls school in Sydney, Australia. Later this year Dr Wright will be speaking at conferences in Cairns, Australia and Yale. 

 I was blessed with the opportunity to chat to Helen about her new book and connecting with parents. 

Me: Congratulations on your new book. If you had to summarize what it's about in one sentence what would you say?
Helen: Guidance for parents on how to understand their teenage daughters and how to share the wisdom.

Me: Where did you get inspiration for this book? 
Helen: I've been a head (aka principal) for over 10 years in a number of schools. I get many questions from parents about teenage daughters in particular. Many parents are going through this for the first time. Schools have seen so much of this development and built up a wealth of knowledge and so important to share that. I believe we need to create working partnerships and believe we have a collective responsibility to bring up our children. And we need to communicate the accumulated wisdom and knowledge. There has been a moved away from extended families, so I am trying to regenerate that. Sharing wisdom of parents like how an aunt would.

Me: A common theme I hear from educators is that it's those who don't need the help that often stop to listen and take in parenting advice. Do you have any tips to engage parents?
Helen: The more open we can all be, the better. As educators we are helping to educating and growing children as a partnership. Where opportunities aren't available at home; provide them at school. In the UK, breakfast clubs, after school clubs and other activities are available to engage in the community. It's about creating schools that are helping to regenerate community.

Me: Lastly, why should parents get their hands on your book? 
Helen: It's not about that. I wrote it because I wanted to share what I had learned. I just wanted to communicate that with people and help parents.

My Psychological perspective:
Decoding Your 21st Century Daughter was a quick and easy read. I believed Dr Wright bought out the key risks evident in adolescent girls. It's based on what seems to be old-fashioned common sense in a fast paced new world.
Cyberbullying is very real. I have had many clients present with a range of mild to severe mental health issues due to cyberbullying and relationship problems due to use of social media. Dr Wright gives very practical pieces of advice for parents including, setting rules and being informed. In fact, research shows that parental monitoring (knowing what your teen is doing and where they are) is one of the most effective protective strategies available to parents.
Dr Wright also talks about role changes for both the child and the parent. She provides practical tips for parents to handle this phase including changing the way parents talk to their children. There were a few suggestions that have limited research backing, and one in particular that I would have to point out. Research is still out on whether talking to children about substance use is actually protective or a risk factor. [I talked to Dr Wright about this in the interview, and she says she will blog about this soon on her blog: http://www.drhelenwright.com/blog/].
The second half of Decoding your 21st Century Daughter, is really strengths based. Despite the doom and gloom of the 21st century, Dr Wright was able to help parents focus on building self-esteem, confidence and direction in young ladies.

My Christian Perspective:
According to the bible, really early learning is really important (Proverbs 22:6). Prevention is always better than cure. I wish there was a greater focus in this book about prevention and community, but when I spoke to Dr Wright, her key aims also appear to be about prevention and community. This being said, most of the strategies and tips that Helen talks about can be applied to younger girls - fostering parent-child relationships, building their self-esteem, focusing on resilience, having established family rules based on love.
Not only is it becoming harder to parent teenagers, but from my perspective, christian parenting of teenagers is also becoming an increasing challenge. There are several things we can draw on as a community, we can build collective resilience and positivity from a young age. We can help to monitor online and offline behaviour as a community. And most importantly, we can pray together as a community for our growing girls.

Overall Rating:

Excellent

Dr Wright has done a great job in compiling a brief but comprehensive set of factors parents of adolescent girls would find valuable. She presents practical tips in a user-friendly way.  It's based on what seems to be old-fashioned common sense in a fast paced new world.

There is not an emphasis on research that often weighs down most parenting tip books, but a focus on personal experience as an educator full of wisdom. It's a useful Saturday afternoon read for parents with adolescent girls. And I will be sharing this book with parents soon!

Decoding Your 21st Century Daughter is on sale now through Amazon and embooks.

The publishers have also provided me with 5 copies of the brand new ebook to giveaway (see below)!

#2 GIVEAWAY

As part of the Launch for the brand new Decoding your 21st Century Daughter, we are giving you the chance to win one of FIVE ebooks. Winners will be advertised on this site.

Decoding Your 21st Century Daughter ebook (A$5.99 value).

HOW TO ENTER. 

Simple fill in the form to enter (If you don't  like Rafflecopter, you can just comment below to enter). Be sure to enter your email address so I can contact you if you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided a review copy of Decoding your 21st Century Daughter (2013) by the publisher but was in no way paid for writing this review. 

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Triple P stepping stones trial

I'm very excited to be part of the roll out of Stepping Stones Triple P in Queensland, Australia. It will soon be rolled out in Victoria and New South Wales as well. As part of this community roll out, parents (with a child with disability) who complete the mysay surveys (see below, usually part of the surveys we give any new clients anyway) will get access to an appropriate level of intervention for their family- FOR FREE!

What is Stepping Stones Triple P?

Stepping Stones Triple P is a specially tailored program for parents of children with a disability. It is part of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, which is one of the world’s most effective parenting programs, and one of the few based on evidence from ongoing scientific research. There are more than 250 trials, studies and published papers showing it works.

Stepping Stones works by giving parents the skills to raise happy, confident children and to build stronger family relationships. It also helps parents manage problem behaviour and developmental issues common in children with disabilities.

But it doesn’t tell people how to parent. Rather, it gives them simple and practical strategies they can adapt to suit their own values, beliefs and needs.

Stepping Stones is also different because it is not “one-size-fits-all”. It’s a system that offers increasing levels of support to meet parents’ different needs. So parents can choose anything from one-off public seminars to more detailed group courses or individual sessions.

Triple P is now used in more than 20 countries including the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Iran, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands, Curacao, Switzerland and Romania. It has been translated into 18 languages. http://www.pfsc.uq.edu.au/evidence

Are you the parent or caregiver of a child with a disability?

Parenting a child with a disability comes with exceptional challenges. How do you know what’s best and what works? We can provide specially-tailored parenting support but we need your help.

This is your chance to tell us about your child’s experiences as well as your own. Let us know whether you’re getting enough parenting support and share with us the types of support you would like to receive.

We’ll use your views to deliver a parenting program in ways that suit families across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales, Australia.

If you have a child with a disability, aged 2–10, go to the My Say website and help us improve parenting services for your family.

To have your say and to find out more about the program, visit www.mysay.org.au.

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Christian Parenting Handbook (2013) Launch- winners announced

Launch week for the Christian Parent Handbook 29 April - 5 May. Plus win some amazing prizes from the publisher including an $100 amazon giftcard!

The psychology perspective

I was very excited to be part of the Christian Parenting Handbook (2013) launch. The Christian Parenting Handbook hits the shelves 29 April. While preparing to start full time work in private practice as a psychologist, I was interested in equipping myself with powerful tools. This is when I stumbled on the Christian Parenting Handbook. The authors don't try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they have put some pretty basic principles of parenting in an easy to digest form filled with examples and tips. While it's not evidence based practice, each parent can carefully monitor the use of ideas in this book to determine if it will work for your family. 

My Christian perspective

While parents don't want their kids to run wild and be disobedient, very few parents would want kids who are robotic and can't think for themselves. The authors have balanced this well by promoting what they call "Heart parenting". To me, it was all about Honor based parenting. Teaching kids to honor parents just as God told us in the old (Exodus 20:12) and new testaments (Ephesians 6:2). 

My overall rating: 

Excellent

Not a book you can digest in 2 hours, but certainly a book to occasionally draw ideas from. 

There is sooo much going on in Launch week. 

Buy The Christian Parenting Handbook between April 29 and May 5 and get a package of free resources valued at more than $400.00. To claim your premium, simply forward your purchase confirmation to Gift@biblicalparenting.org and we will email you your special product code for the $400.00 package.

Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller will be hosting a Google Hangout on Tuesday evening April 30 starting at 7:30 pm EDT. This will be an on-air hangout where anyone can listen in. You can watch the video by going to the Biblical Parenting Facebook Group. You can also comment there and ask questions of Scott and Joanne.

Join the Twitter Party on Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 pm Eastern Time and have a chance to win one of several prizes. The party is being managed by @biblicalparent and the hashtag is #heartparenting.

WINNERS from #1 Giveaway

Congrats to Mandy, Nikki H, Karen W, Candace C, Lois C, you will win a share in the following:

 Biblical Parenting University Online Parenting Course (U$99.95 value).

Set of 5 Parenting Shifts eBooks (U$49.95).

Honor Multi-media package (U$59.95 Value).

The Christian Parenting Handbook + Companion Guide ebook (U$49.95).

Disciple making at home ebook (U$16.99 value)

Didn't win? Don't worry, there are more giveaways!

The publisher has a bunch of prizes lined up including an iPad mini ($400), $200 Amazon gift card, wii with sports game ($200), $100 amazon gift card Kodak digital picture frame ($90). Enter below!

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Book Review: CPH- Part II. Win an online parenting course!

This is the second review on this book. PLUS- WIN an online parenting course or other parenting resources.

Book Summary: The Christian Parenting Handbook (2013)- PART II of V

The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life

The authors have put together 50 strategies for Christian parenting. The suggestions here are quite logical. Chapters 11 to 20 look at some pretty broad issues. The family as a team. Making God and the bible part of family life. Bookmark good days.United parenting. Teaching kids to honor the family. Targeting conflict, not problems by recognizing the difference, stopping escalation traps, isolating the process. Affirm right behaviour. Being wise. 

My psychological perspective:

Family of origin, religion, etc all play a role in the way parents do parenting. Some of my clients come from cultures where it's all about community and family, so they try to raise their children to spend time together, do things for each other, etc. Others come from families where they are mostly interested in individual pursuits. In reality, each family functions a little differently and parents may have different influences on their parenting.

It's important for parents to be on the same page. And this requires good communication between parents and other caregivers. When kids receive the same consequences for behaviour, etc they are less likely to get confused or play the good/bad parent card.


Rarely do I get parents coming to the clinic because kids don't do the chores. They come in because getting the kids to do the chores has become a conflict in the household. The authors made the distinction between problems and conflicts quite clear. They highlight a way to stop escalation traps - "It takes two to argue, but only one to stop". (I will discuss escalation traps in a subsequent blog post). The authors also talk about the importance of wise parenting as opposed to being right (more on wise parenting in a subsequent blog post).

My Christian Perspective:

The bible is a vital way we can understand the will of God in our lives. For the longest time, I have made it a core interest to instill on my Sunday school kids a desire to know God and to read his word everyday. I tell them that the bible is not cake- that we eat for special occasions, but it's daily bread, we need it every single day. The authors spend some time emphasizing the importance of helping kids to grow a love of God's word.

My overall rating: 

Excellent

I believe Part II (Chapter 11-20) of The Christian Parenting Handbook (2013) gives some pretty good insights into Christ-centered parenting. Instead of just vaguely telling parents to instill the word of God in a child's life, the authors give some pretty clear examples of HOW we can do it. The concept of honoring your kids and teaching your kids to honor the family is precious. We don't want to train dogs or make robots who do what we say. We want to build up kids to WANT to do good. 

"Obedience gets the job done, but honor addresses the way people relate in that process." I really like this phrase and may use it with my clients. It's not just doing what you are told. It's doing things because you want to honor the family. 

The Christian Parenting Handbook is on sale now on Amazon. 

Buy The Christian Parenting Handbook between April 29 and May 5 and get a package of free resources valued at more than $400.00. To claim your premium, simply forward your purchase confirmation to Gift@biblicalparenting.org and we will email you your special product code for the $400.00 package.

#1 GIVEAWAY

As part of the upcoming Launch Week for the brand new Christian Parenting Handbook, the launch team bloggers are having giveaways this week. Winners will be advertised on this site and will win one of the following prizes. 

 Biblical Parenting University Online Parenting Course (U$99.95 value).

Set of 5 Parenting Shifts eBooks (U$49.95).

Honor Multi-media package (U$59.95 Value).

The Christian Parenting Handbook + Companion Guide ebook (U$49.95).

Disciple making at home ebook (U$16.99 value)

HOW TO ENTER. 

Simply tell me in 100 words or less in the comment section below: a parenting topic that you would like to see addressed on this blog and why. Then fill in the competition entry to win!

You can enter once a day.

This giveaway is open to Residents of the United States, Australia (QLD, NT, TAS, VIC, SA), Hong Kong only.  Void where prohibited. Must be at least 18 years of age.    

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: The Christian Parenting Handbook (2013)- PART 1

This is the first review on this book. 

Book Summary: The Christian Parenting Handbook (2013)- PART I of V

The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life

The authors have put together 50 strategies for Christian parenting. The suggestions here are quite logical. The first 10 chapters look at some pretty broad issues. They suggest that consistency is overrated. Instead they suggest that you should focus on broader themes to develop the heart of the child. Focus on building internal motivation to do right. Consequences aren't the only answer. Identify character qualities (obedience, honor, perseverance, attentiveness, etc) to address problems. Transfer responsibility for change to the child. Focus on the relational side of parenting. Seeing a positive future. Look for heart moments. Make parenting shifts. Thinking long term. 

My psychological perspective:

There is no harm in testing the strategies suggested in this parenting manual. To read all 50 strategies in one go is exhausting. I can tell you from the outset that not every strategy is research based, but authors never claim that the strategies are research based. I recommend going through a few of these strategies at a time with your "team" (partner, grandparent, everyone else who is looking after your child). The book is filled with real world examples that makes the strategies relevant and clear. The book focuses on building confidence in parenting and general guidelines parents can tailor to their life.

Modern day parenting training largely target the same aspects of parenting as presented in the book, but modern parenting training elements are often misquoted and misunderstood. In therapy with clients, we focus first of all on building parent-child relationships and encouraging prosocial behaviours before we do anything about undesirable behaviours! When I work with clients, I tend to recommend natural reinforcers (e.g. praise, pats on the back) over artificial reinforcers (e.g. tokens, rewards).

Not every parent needs parenting training. For some, they have learned how to parent by viewing good role models, reading books (much like this one)/ watched TV shows. But, trained therapists can help to coach better parenting skills and manage a broader range of individual family problems.

My Christian Perspective:

It's the same way my mother taught me (Deuteronomy 11:18-20). From a young age, my mother would teach us verses of the bible, she would help us apply the wisdom of God in our daily lives. The book highlights the importance of creating a family that loves/honors God and loves/honors each other. In the first 10 chapters, the authors gives ideas about how/why to refocus parenting strategies. Instead of focusing on behaviorally relevant outcomes, the authors suggests that parents should focus on building relationships with the child, and creating in them a heart that wants to do right by God and man.

My overall rating: 

Excellent

I believe Part I (the first 10 chapters) of The Christian Parenting Handbook (2013) gives some pretty good insights into Christ-centered parenting. The authors don't tell me anything I wouldn't have learned in a basic parent-training course (e.g. Triple P) and it's quite lengthy. But it certainly costs a lot less than a parenting course and is jam packed with examples making it really relevant to parents. Compared to other Christian parenting books, it's quite up to date in terms of strategies (without explicitly citing any research). 

The Christian Parenting Handbook is on sale now at Amazon. 

Buy The Christian Parenting Handbook between April 29 and May 5 and get a package of free resources valued at more than $400.00. To claim your premium, simply forward your purchase confirmation to Gift@biblicalparenting.org and we will email you your special product code for the $400.00 package. .

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