Harriet Connor

Author of Big Picture Parents

Category: Book Reviews

Raising confident kids in a confusing world

As they grow up, every child asks the question ‘Who am I?’. But where will they look for answers? The world around us calls loudly, telling our children how to view themselves and how to live their ‘best life’. It tells them to look within for answers. But with no solid ground to stand on, many children and young people are drifting into confusion.

As Christian parents, we worry that our children will get carried along and confused by the destructive trends of our times. We wonder how we can raise children who have a secure identity founded on Christ and the confidence to live accordingly, even if the world disapproves.

An encouraging voice

It is for parents like us that Ed Drew has written a new book, Raising Confident Kids in a Confusing World. Ed Drew reassures Christian parents that in the gospel of Jesus, we already have all the resources we need to give our children a positive, realistic and resilient view of themselves.

Ed Drew is a seasoned kids’ minister, father-of-three and Director of UK ministry ‘Faith in Kids’. His writing is warm, conversational, honest, funny and full of stories of real parents and real children who are persevering in the gospel in the midst of life’s challenges. As you read, you can hear Ed’s voice reminding you of the precious truths of the gospel and encouraging you, from one imperfect parent to another.

Gospel foundations

Raising Confident Kids in a Confusing World begins with the gospel truths that provide a solid basis for our children’s identity. You may feel impatient to get to the ‘hot topics’ of the later chapters, but it’s important to stop and lay this foundation. Ed brings to life a number of Bible stories to convince us—and therefore our children—that we can say with confidence:
I am precious.
I am forgiven.
I can change.
I know what to do when I’m not OK.
I am wonderfully made.

While these are truths that every Christian should already know, Ed Drew manages to communicate them in a fresh, engaging and persuasive way that connects with both head and heart.

Keep reading over at Growing Faith, a Christian online magazine for parents. Find out more about Growing Faith and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter here.

Four ways feminism misunderstands motherhood

I recently came away from a job interview wishing I hadn’t spoken so much about motherhood. When asked to outline my experience in balancing competing projects and deadlines, the best examples I could think of were from my family life. But on reflection, that probably came across as unprofessional. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job.

In the world of work, it’s often best to pretend that we aren’t mothers at all. In fact, it’s illegal for prospective employers to ask if we are.

Feminism has fought hard for women to have an equal place in the workforce alongside men. But it has largely accomplished this by separating women from motherhood. The priorities of contemporary feminism are to enable women to avoid becoming mothers in the first place (through contraception and access to abortion) and to ensure that motherhood doesn’t inhibit a woman’s career (through access to childcare and maternity leave).

But this creates a huge tension for many women—we experience a disconnect between the promises of feminism and real-life motherhood. It feels like you can’t be a good feminist and a good mother at the same time.

Read More

Redeeming Advent (Book Review)

For many of us, the season of Advent—the four weeks leading up to Christmas—is the busiest time of the year. Our calendars fill up with parties and celebrations, concerts and carol-singing. Our to-do lists spill over with shopping and baking, card-writing and present-wrapping.

But for Christians, Advent is also one of the most spiritually significant times of the year. Traditionally, Advent (which means “coming”) is a season of expectation: we remember Israel’s years of waiting for God’s promised Messiah to come; we also remember that we too are in a time of waiting—for God’s Messiah to come again in glory.

Read More

“For the Love of Discipline: When the Gospel Meets Tantrums and Time-Outs”

Sara Wallace is a home-schooling mother of five boys. So it was with respect and admiration that I sat down to read her book, For the Love of Discipline: When the Gospel Meets Tantrums and Time-Outs.

Wallace writes in an honest, personal style. She says: ‘I didn’t write this book because discipline comes naturally to me, or because my kids are models of obedience. I wrote it because my kid pushed your kid into the pool at swim lessons. I wrote it because last week I had to leave the grocery store early when my kids were wrestling in the aisles. And I wrote it because discipline seems exhausting and discouraging only when we leave out the most important ingredient: the gospel’ (p.7).

Read More

Gospel-centred wisdom for life in the real world

Review of “Unhitching from the Crazy Train: Finding Rest in a World You Can’t Control”

Julie Sparkman, an experienced counsellor, has teamed up with author Jennifer Phillips to produce a book that belongs on the shelf of any Christian, right beside the classic works of authors such as Larry Crabb. Sparkman demonstrates a similar gift for applying the truths of the gospel to everyday life in a way that is both profound and practical.

In today’s world, there is no shortage of “experts” trying to sell you their strategies for attaining the perfect life. Unhitching from the Crazy Train is something quite different: it serves as a guidebook for those who are ready to live in the real world, where things rarely go to plan.

Read More

How to “Childproof” Your Marriage: Tips from a Relationship Therapist

Andrew G. Marshall has spent almost thirty years helping couples to overcome their marriage difficulties. Most of the misery he encounters can be traced back to one single issue: how to stop your children from ruining your marriage.

He writes:

“Although bringing up the next generation is possibly the most fulfilling and life-affirming thing anyone can do, babies and small children do seem to have a mission to destroy everything they come into contact with, from your clothes and furniture to your nerves, sex life and sometimes even your marriage … in the hurly-burly of bringing up a family … you drop down each other’s list of priorities until one or other of you complains: ‘You always put me last’” (p 5-6).

Marshall has distilled his insights into a book, called I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Childproof Your Marriage (Macmillan, London, 2013). The book is full of diagnostic quizzes, real-life examples, and practical tips to help you build a stronger marriage during the child-raising years. And with one in three Australian marriages currently ending in divorce, we would do well to pay attention.

Read More

20 Tips for Parents (Book Review)

The realistic parent’s guide to understanding and shaping your child’s behaviour

by Professor Kim Oates, Finch Publishing, Sydney, 2014.

s-l300

When we open up a parenting book, we make ourselves vulnerable. We begin cautiously, fearing that what we read might confirm our suspicions that we are fundamentally inadequate for the high calling of parenthood.

However, when I opened up 20 Tips for Parents, my fears were quickly relieved.

Read More

The Heart of Marriage (Book Review)

0001469_the-heart-of-marriage_600

The Heart of Marriage: Loving Your Spouse with a Christian Mind

by Michael Hill, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2013.

It’s hard to stand firm as a Christian parent in the modern world; often we find ourselves being swept along by the sea of advice that swirls around us, and we lose touch with God’s vision for family life. A few years ago, I found myself being carried along by the idea that you should put your children first in everything. Every aspect of my daily life had begun to revolve entirely around our young sons; anything else was pushed to the periphery . . . including my husband.

Read More

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén