There are only a few things that have really influenced my parenting and helped me become a better parent. Obviously my own parents and how they raised me plays a big part in the parent I am, but I also learned so much at the Waldorf Parent/Child class and now A Spiritual Heritage by Glen and Ellen Schuknecht. This post is part of the blog tour for this amazing book!!
Glen and Ellen Schuknecht have three kids, eleven grandkids and over forty-five years in Christian education. They know their parenting and help mothers and fathers learn to be better parents and help give their kids the skills they need to survive in our crazy society as well as help some save their kids from the wrong paths. What questions do you have about parenting? Do you wonder about when a child should have a cell phone? (I know it is a conversation I have had with many parents.) Perhaps it is curfews or which movies or video games? Or is it that your child has gotten into a group of friends you do not approve? Or maybe it is how can you bring your child(ren) up to love and follow God? All of these and more are in this book. Not only that it focuses on teaching your child(ren) the skills to make good decisions on his/her/their own.
This book has you throw away all that you have heard you should do as parents. It tells you it is ok to involve your child in conversations about the family rules and not to just make them. It talks about extending your boundaries as a child proves responsible. Oh, and it lets you know it is ok to have different rules for different kids and situations. Yes, your kids can have different rules based on what works for him or her.
Glen and Ellen share their own stories from parenting, their grandkids' stories as well as stories from families they have counseled and helped. The stories are uplifting and illustrate their methods that are being explained. There is humor throughout the book as well. It is an inspiring and fun read. I feel motivated to be the mother I have always hoped to be every time I read this book. It is a book that you will want to keep to reread and use as a reference. I love how it gives advice for different ages of kids. There are things to help parent a young child all the way through teenagers and adults. The focus is also to help the child choose a Christian life. Much of this advice can work for any religion but the book has scripture throughout it as well as a love for God and Jesus. In a society that does not seem to value religion and that certainly does not act like Christians very often, it is harder and harder to bring kids up to love God and to even think about God. This book helps with the challenges of every day parenting, challenges of major issues in parenting and bringing God into your child's life in a way that is not forced but that helps the child make the choices to love God. I feel that any parent would gain so much from reading this book and I hope you will check it out!
