'Parenting by the Book' by John Rosemond has been a God send in our home! Dr. Rosemond is an "anti-psycho-babble" psychologist who has written a book based on Scriptural parenting. How cool is that? I have been devouring the book late at night after Liv is asleep and cannot put it down.
I love Dr. Rosemond's no nonsense approach to parenting. He talks a lot about all the lies psychology has fed us over the years that has contributed to our parenting. He lays it on the table when he speaks about how Scripture really has all the answers for parenting. I mean, the Bible is there for us in all other aspects of our life, why wouldn't parenting be one of them?
Part of the book that has really spoken to me is in regard to the sinful nature of mankind. Dr. Rosemond reminds the reader that we are part of a fallen race. (Thank you Jesus for our redemption) But alas, our children are born with original sin. He goes on to say that due to this fallen nature a child is prone to sin. What?! Not my child! Oh wait, you mean all the times that my sweet little two year old turns into a very demanding and self serving child is not my fault? Dr. Rosemonds writes that the minute a mother starts 'blaming' her actions for her child's actions is the minute that the child's behavior gets excused. He likes calling a spade a spade.... My two year old makes self serving choices because it is built into her human makeup. He recommends a no tolerance policy and setting a firm consequence. (So sitting down and trying to rationalize why little Suzy can't hit Bobby when he takes a toy does not work... I know.. I have tried... it's like talking to a two foot wall with very cute clothes).
This book provides questions for reflection and group discussion throughout the chapters and could be a great resource for a mom and dad together. In my situation, my husband does not have the time to sit down and read but I have highlighted all the things I feel that are relevant (um, a LOT of the book) and overtime I have been reading them to him so that we can discuss.
I enjoyed this book immensely and walked away from it feeling so much better about my parenting. It chilled me out a little and reminded me that God truly is our perfect parent who has provided us with a manual.... a parenting manual of all things! Overall I think we all want respectful, strong, independent, kind, generous, loving and holy children. This book definitely provides a realistic framework for heading in that direction. Check it out!
“John Rosemond is one of the few psychologists I’ve ever met who always makes sense. This is the best common-sense guide to parenting I’ve read in a long time.”—Dr. Kevin Leman, author of Making Children Mind without Losing Yours.
“If you think ‘new’ is always better, this is not the book for you. John does all parents a huge service by skillfully illuminating the timeless wisdom of Scripture that has served generations in raising healthy, happy, obedient human beings. I was struck, both as a parent and a professional, at how simply and practically John presents these biblical truths for mothers and fathers. Parenting by the Book could start a parenting revolution, and I pray it does for the sake of our children.”—Glenn T. Stanton, author of Marriage on Trial and My Crazy, Imperfect Christian Family
“Truly a masterpiece. John’s concepts are consistent with both biblical principles and the best parenting research. As such, they work! A must-read for parents and professionals who work with parents.”—DuBose Ravenel, MD, FAAP, pediatrician and emeritus member of Focus of the Family medical advisor team
--------------------Picture respectful, responsible, obedient children who entertain themselves without television or video games, do their own homework, and have impeccable manners. A pie-in-the-sky fantasy? Not so, says family psychologist and bestselling author John Rosemond. Any parent who so desires can grow children who fit that description—happy, emotionally-healthy children who honor their parents and their families with good behavior and do their best in school. In the 1960s, American parents stopped listening to their elders when it came to child rearing and began listening instead to professional experts. Since then, raising children has become fraught with anxiety, stress, and frustration. The solution, says John, lies in raising children according to biblical principles, the same principles that guided parents successfully for hundreds of years. They worked then, and they still work now!
Through his nationally-syndicated newspaper column and eleven books, John has been helping families raise happy, well-behaved children for more than thirty years. In Parenting by The Book, which John describes as both a “mission and a ministry,” he brings parents back to the uncomplicated basics. Herein find practical, Bible-based advice that will help you be the parent you want to be, with children who will be, as the Bible promises, “a delight to your soul” (Pro. 29-17). As a bonus, John also promises to make you laugh along the way.
