Dangerous misuse of Scripture

Besides the less than smooth writing style, this book contains heresy that outweighs the bits of truth in it. The Clarkson’s have sadly misused and torn down Scripture and turned it something very different than the Word spoken by God. It is a dangerous book. Aside from the heresy, they include many extra-biblical ideas as essential to child raising. According to this book’s expectations, no one could come close to accomplishing all the things one must do to truly parent.

5 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Left me feeling overwhelmed and discouraged

I was excited to start this book after seeing Sally speak at a conference. She seems like the kind of lady it would be a delight to sit down and chat with.

The book, however, was a disappointment. I'll get to content in a minute, but first, the narrators deserve their own review. The narrators both seemed stiff and a bit commercial-like. The unfortunate result of which was a disingenuous overtone for the book. It felt a bit like being preached at by stuffy, legalistic Bible-thumpers, which I am sure could not have been Clay and Sally's intent for the book. Also, every time the female narrator said, "Sally's Memoirs," it sounded like "Sally's Mom-wars," often shaking me out of my immersion in listening.

The book itself was full of scripture, advice, and stories. The Scripture was very encouraging (though the applications were pretty questionable at times), the advice was alright, the stories were honestly a bit much. I felt as though I was watching a picture-perfect Christian family with no hope of ever achieving the same. Although the Clarksons readily admitted they weren't a perfect family, that's not the picture I saw presented (especially of the parents). I felt that the book put up an impossible standard, even while saying that we all fail. I left most listening sessions feeling exhausted.

Another concern was the way the Clarksons used Scripture within the book. There were several times when they attributed responsibilities to the parents that were either overwhelming or just plain extra-biblical. According to Sally and Clay, it is my job to guard my childrens' hearts (okay, fair enough - I can do that to some extent) and to renew their minds (hang on a sec... isn't that God's job?).

One other thing to note is that while I have small children, the Clarksons are speaking as parents of adult children and list many, many, many things they did over the years - most of which are not ideas I can implement for many years to come. Perhaps this is part of why I was overwhelmed.

There are much better parenting books out there that put less performance pressure on the parents and still give effective and godly wisdom for raising children. I do not recommend this book, but if you are still interested I advise finding a physical copy to read instead of listening to the audiobook version.

Other books I would recommend instead include: Boundaries with Kids by Henry Cloud and John Townsend; and For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.

4 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Excellent Book, but the listen is grueling

I don't know if I can finish this. May just stick with my physical copy. The narrators are not excellent, let's just say.

2 persone l'hanno trovata utile

My favorite parenting book to date!

I love the partnership pictured between Clay and Sally as parents. I am able to imagine the things they talk about being implemented in my home. They are inspiring and encouraging. Their materials provide practical help and hope towards always growing in God, as a parent and a wife.

2 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Worth Your Time

One of the best books I've read on parenting because Clay and Sally breathe life and inspiration into this weary mama's heart. I love my children, and this book challenges me to love them *well* and *on purpose,* not just because we live under the same roof.

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

Content win!

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This book was excellent, very practical and helpful and Biblical! I felt like it was very relevant and inspiring. I really appreciated this book as a mother of four. As much as I highly value read-aloud and audible options, the readers for this book unfortunately were very difficult to listen to, their tones and everything. I had to check a couple of times to make sure it was not being read by a computer, but the content truly is amazing so overall I can give this all the stars I just wish the readers were more realistic sounding. I don't know if that means animation or fluctuation in tones it was just more mechanical sounding which is disappointing for the value of the content.

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

Horrible Narration, Meh Content

I have read many Christian parenting books and gave this a fair shake. I do not love the content or writing style of the book, but don't disagree with all the concepts. I do, however, think the book should be subtitled "A Southern Baptist's Guide to Sheltering Your Kids." I did not finish this book with a fresh perspective like I was hoping for. I was not inspired to change in all of the ways they suggested.
But, maybe that's just me.

The narrators for this book are some of the worst I've ever heard for any book l've ever listened to. Every word the woman says sounds corny and it makes me cringe to listen to her nasal yankee accent. The male narrator is extremely stiff and sounds like he's reading a dissertation. Horrible horrible choices for narrators. can't believe the publishers signed off on them.

Biblical encouragement

Sound biblical encouragement to love our kids as our Lifegiving God loves us as His children.

FIRST PARENTING BOOK THAT MAKES SENSE

The first couple chapters were dry, but the rest was fantastic. I definitely recommend this for every one, not just parents.

The missing piece for Christian Parents

Written by seasoned parents who have not only raised thriving children but who have also observed numerous parenting strategies and their outcomes (for good and ill), this book both returns to the simplicity of loving God first and gives practical ways to love our children well. It is one I hope to return to often.