A Review of Parenting Made Practical
I’ll be the first to admit it but I’m a book addict! And I especially love helpful books on subjects like marriage, parenting, homeschooling ect… So I was very happy to be selected to review a book called “Why Can’t I Get My Kids to Behave?” by Parenting Made Practical.
Its not that I think my kids are selfish brats or in terrible need of reconstruction, its just I think we all have things that we see in them and say to ourselves “that should definitely go.”
And this book was so encouraging! It started off with basic obedience work like training your child to always come to you when they are called; immediately, cheerfully and respectfully. That’s not too much to ask for but I realized instantly that we had not properly trained that area. I began working on that and saw results rather quickly which made life much better for all involved. Its so easy for a parent to get lazy with training! Another thing I like is that they stress you only work on one trouble area or training at one time (not all weak points at once). I once read that we should imagine how discouraged we would become if Christ addressed all our flaws and failures at the same time. Instead he gently works on each one until its fixed then goes onto the next one.
This is a great concept to follow, especially with our children. We need to be constantly going to God and his Word to line up our children with where they need to be but being careful to not overwhelm them with discouragement.
Another thing I gained from this book is how parenting is really about our self-discipline. If we aren’t disciplined, how can we teach our children to be? That hits home!
They also addressed letting natural consequences take their course. For example, if your child refuses to remember to take their favorite clothing into the laundry room to be washed, then you should not do it yourself. Allow them to deal with the consequences of not having that clothing to wear. This is wonderful practice for real life!
I also loved that the authors were honest and open about the challenges they had experienced raising their own children. Honestly, if someone hasn’t been there, done that, I don’t think them overly qualified to talk to me about an area I’m actually journeying through.
They have quite a few resources available to parents. Here are a few I thought I would mention, “Taming the Lecture Bug & Getting Your Kids to Think” dvd or book ; “Dating, Courting and Choosing a Mate…What works?“dvd; “Navigating the Rapids of Parenting“dvd; “What Every Child Should Know Along the Way” book and they also have “Mom’s Notes” on MP3 files. They also have loads of resources available from other authors on character training and authentic girlhood & boyhood. I even noticed that they are having a sale on many items!
I was very pleased with this book (and actually plan on purchasing more of their products!) and will definitely continue implementing its parenting strategies while remembering that children are not raised in a day! It may be years before the fruit is fully ripe! So don’t give up! Keep laboring and in due season, you’ll reap if you faint not!
Don’t forget to check out the other reviews at the link below!