Are You Concerned About The Society Our Children Are Growing Up In? 'Growing Great Kids' by "Kate Battistelli' ~ Book Review
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I found "Growing GREAT KIDS" written by "Kate Battistelli" to be a very uplifting and encouraging source of information. I did not know what to expect from this book but as a Grand-parent of four, I was anxious to check it out. I am so glad I did. I found this book both informational and encouraging in a way I was not expecting. Even though the title suggests it is a Religion instruction book, I found it to be more of a chat book. By this, I mean that I felt like I was on the front porch chatting with a friend. Kate has a talent for uplifting instead of preaching. She shared trials from her own life and how they helped to teach her to be a better parent. At the end of each chapter, there is a list of questions to ask yourself, as well as a short prayer to encourage. I found these questions to be both thought-provoking and helpful. For instance, these are just a couple of the questions, you will find at the end of chapter two:

Examine the words you speak to your child. Are they building her up or tearing her down? Are they speaking life or death?

What kinds of words do your children hear you use when speaking to or about your spouse?

As person who is big into genealogy, I found chapter 10 particularly interesting. A few of the questions at the end are useful when thinking of raising children from a genealogy point of view:

What gifts, talents and abilities run in your family?

Are they evident in your child?

The one thing that I did not like is that the majority of scripture reference is the "New King James Version of the bible. I am finding that many authors are using this version of scriptures. However I use the "King James" version of the bible so I looked each verse up for myself. There were some references to "Amplified Bible" as well as the "King James" version as well.

As I started reading this book, I found that I was going to need a few things on hand at all times. I needed a pen and my journal to write down my thoughts as they came into my mind while reading this amazing book. I also needed a red pencil and my scriptures. While reading this book, I found my mind wondering from one scripture to another. My red pencil referenced my thoughts and linked my verses in my scriptures.

I found this book helpful as a grand- parent and as a concerned citizen in our neighborhood. I kept thinking of the changing society we are living in and how we need to concentrate on the way we raise children in a Godly way. The back of the book has a "note" section that I found helpful. It also has an internet link to sign up for free newsletters from Charisma Mag.

I give this book a 5 star and recommend it to anyone who works with children or is concerned about them in any way.

DISCLAIMER:
I received a free copy of this book from the author through CWA, in exchange for a review. This in no way influenced my review. I give honest reviews.
4430419
Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma is a fascinating book about modern day parenting, youth entitlement and ways to raise strong, independent children. It is presented in a journal style as Kay conducted her year-long experiment to remove the youth entitlement that was evident in her children's lives.

She rightly points out that today's parenting involves doing everything possible for your children and making sure they are happy at the expense of actually learning anything new. As part of the experiment the book is based on, she gets the children involved in chores around the house ranging from small chores like making beds and helping clean-up to large chores like preparing meals, doing washing and helping with handyman tasks where possible.

I found this book very interesting as I am no longer a teenager but not yet a parent, so I approached it more from the teenager's opinion than the parent's opinion. Initially my opinion of the book was quite sceptical in terms of using children to do meal preparation and handyman tasks but I can definitely see the benefits for both parents and children in this experiment. In the end children playing video games all day will not help them when they have to fend for themselves in the future.

The narration was very good once again. Tavia Gilbert is very good at making these books come to life and she adds a lot of expression to the audio.

This book is a great resource for parents with children or teenagers who believe that money grows on trees and that their mother is just there to serve them day and night. In a culture based around selfishness this book has a refreshing focus on helping others and in the process creating strong children.

This audio book was gifted as a part of the christianaudio Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. More information can be found about this and other Christian audio books at christianaudio.com.
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Do you feel as though you have no patience or that you cannot deal with your fresh mouthed, entitled kids?  Does it seem as though you never remember treating your parents like the kids of today do?  I thought my kids were "bad" until I started reading this book and trying to see it from their point of view.  I'm not finished but even what I've read so far is helping me be a better parent.

And, as for that, "kids are worse than they were than I was growing up feeling" this book provides and excellent explanation for that perception.
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Popular author Stu Weber ("Tender Warrior") is back with a great book about finishing strong --- and how to get there.

Where do you fit in the grand scheme of life? What gifts do you bring to the table that will benefit and bless the larger community? Are you focused on developing your own unique skills and honing your perspective?

Author Weber weaves quotes from literature, film and other contemporary sources to help you think through these issues with clarity.

Well-written and thought-provoking. AN EXCELLENT READ.

Dr. David Frisbie
The Center for Marriage & Family Studies
Author of:&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Raising-Great-Kids-on-Your-Own-A-Guide-and-Companion-for-Every-Single-Parent/dp/0736919414/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Raising Great Kids on Your Own: A Guide and Companion for Every Single Parent</a>
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I loved reading this book about is going on in childrens' lives today.  This book should be read by anybody who cares about what is going on in American society whether you have children or not.
2974031
This book is "WONDERFUL!!!

This is a very good book for older children and their parents.  It is thought provoking and could be a great way to introduce
a family discussion of kindness, bullying, and how to relate to others.  It can promote discussion in many different ways.
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I just finished reading Kate's book, Growing Great Kids and I am happy to have the opportunity to include my review here.

Book Review

Growing Great Kids is well written and constructed. Kate took time to research and include some great information and resources. Her style of writing is one that captures you and makes it hard to put the book down. I found that it was a smooth and easy read.

Kate did well to give a great picture of her family life with her husband and daughter. It is quite clear that she loves them both very much and I was especially delighted with the godly descriptions and honor she paid to them. Truth be told, I love her daughter Francesca's music and that is what originally drew me to this book review. Truly though, once I started reading I fell in love with Kate too, and now I know why her lovely daughter is so lovely! Kate leads you through the journey that brought "Franny" into the entertainment world. It was fun to read about the Mama of one of my favorite Christian music recording artists.

My favorite chapter in Growing Great Kids is entitled Be Available. You see, when I first started raising kids I was not available and in fact, I did not even know the Lord. It was only after the prayers and guidance of some very special women of God that I was convicted that I needed to be home with my children. In today's world it is sad to see that the "stay at home mom" role has been degraded and many times frowned upon. Kate is not afraid to admit that making the time to help Franny pursue her dreams was not always easy. Kate shares some intimate details about her own childhood that dramatically impacted the decisions that she and her husband made for Franny. I am not going to tell you any of those details because I want you to read this book! It was refreshing to know that Kate never claims to be an expert in raising children; only an expert in raising her own daughter. Love that!

Favorite Parts:

- Favorite quote: "Kids deeply care about what their parents think, particularly when it comes to their ideas and the dreams they have for their lives" (p. 81)

- The photos are great and really give this book a personal touch (pp. 105-120)

- The layout of the book with questions and a prayer at the end of each chapter lends well to the book being used as a book study for young moms -- it might even work well in a group book study.

- The "lessons learned" that Kate shares, such as setting goals, be the involved parent, be their biggest fan and especially, you're not them are very insightful and invaluable to the new parent.

- The last chapter Common Parenting Traps is one that I think will hit home with all parents, young and old

Not So Favorite Parts:

- Throughout the book I yearned to get those early years with my kids back so that I could undo some of the things and redo them with Kate's advice and wisdom

- Sometimes I wish the language in the book would have been a little more relaxed -- less formal

- I would have liked to see Chapter 11 Prayer, the Essential Ingredient closer to the beginning of the book because the subtitle of the book is Partner with GOD to cultivate His purpose in your child's life -- partnering with God requires constant communication with Him and we do that through prayer

Overall recommendation:

This book is best suited for the new parents or the husband and wife waiting to be blessed with children. The format is suitable for personal or group book study. It is a refreshing change from the other parenting books that are available on the market today. If you believe you have outgrown this book perhaps you will consider getting it as a gift for your grown children, nieces, nephews or close friends.
Purchasing links:

Growing Great Kids is AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE in bookstores and major retailers for $14.99. You can buy a discounted and personally autographed copy  here. Or purchase online at: Amazon, Christianbook.com, Barnes&Noble or your favorite online retailer.
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This book is a MUST read! My older son had to read it in HS and I had not heard of it, he told me to read it and was I ever glad I did!
It is a look on how society was...good, bad, fun, sad, etc...and how their society was "sameness" devoid of past unpredictabilities. Really gives you something to think about and discuss with kids.
I saw the movie and was pretty happy with it being close to the book. My 6th grader watched is in school and I sat and watched it with my 4th grader, both enjoyed it so as a family we are all reading it this summer. It is a shorter book and the language is appropriate for them.
Hope you enjoy it!
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This book is very important for parents and teachers. It discusses how boys and girls are programmed differently from the start of their lives and points out ways to best communicate with them. Chapter 8 is a very important chapter on social media and video games and addresses the damaging influence these forms of entertainment can have on children if not carefully monitored by parents. Suggested ways of dealing with these challenges are discussed.
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This is a short book containing two stories about teenagers growing up in suburban America and the pressure to confirm to social norms that goes with it. It is an extremely well-written and heartfelt book, and it is apparent that the stories relate to the life experiences of the author. The stories have relevance to most of us who have grown up/are growing up in modern-day, middle-class suburbia, and know what it's like to be insecure about themselves and attempt to emulate the 'cool' or 'popular' kids. This young writer has the amazing ability to connect with and relate to our generation and deliver important messages about self-worth and individuality in a world that values similarity and conformity. I can highly recommend this book!
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With each new generation there are changes in the social and cultural mores.  Moreover, the perceptions of the parents of the new generations are often pessimistic regarding the prospects for stability and longevity of those social and cultural mores. Ben Sasse provides a well-written history of the factors associated with such changes. Advances in technology, growth in personal wealth, and parental employment patterns, have combined to create a current generation of young adults with juvenile attitudes, i.e. not having the attitudes toward personal, communal, and national responsibility of the current adult population.  He fears for the democratic future of society, culture, and the nation.  A good read for students of cultural health, parenting, and predictions of the American future.
4214552
If you have boy's I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book. The book covers the essentials of raising well balanced and adjusted children. The author, Maria T. Brodsky does an excellent job at looking at patterns and trends in today's society, taking into consideration that each child will have a different personality and can be different in other ways.

"Parenting Boys" breaks down the stages of development and teaches you how to make the proper adjustment needed in order to help your child develop from a newborn baby through adulthood. It is a great educational tool for anyone looking for ways to help their boys properly develop through every stage of life.

I will be looking to pick up the next book in this series called, "Parenting Girls Nurturing Your Girl's Development In Each Stage From An Infant To A Young Adult."
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How to Raise a Happy Child (and be happy, too!) by Heather Criswell, Kid Whisperer and Taryn Vogt, Cofounder of the Everyday Genius Institutes  is a book that I feel has helped put parenting techniques into perspective for us.

My childhood, at home with my mother, wasn't the best. To put it simply, it was full of anger, abuse, and a general feeling of not being wanted. To say the least, I didn't have the greatest role models in the parents that I primarily lived with (my mother and whomever was her husband at the time, as I had two stepfathers before she passed away). Some of this has carried over into my own parenting, meaning that I wish I could communicate with my children better than I was communicated with as a child. Primarily, I raise my voice much more often than I wish I did. While I am certainly leaps and bounds ahead of what my childhood looked like, I know that I have room for growth (don't we all?). I have been wanting to move towards a more peaceful aspect of parenting. Whenever I would make such comments to my husband, he always would associate such ways with "wiping your child's butt until they are 18". Basically, he felt that a lot of the comments that I made would mean that we would be enabling our kids to rule the roost.

Then, along came How to Raise a Happy Child (and be happy too!)
. Reading through the book, I realized that we already use some of these techniques (such as giving children acceptable choices). Michael still had some reservations about applying some of the techniques, but he was willing to try because we both know that something needed to change. Things were not working as is. There was too much anger and attitude going on in our home. Some might attribute it to puberty, stress, etc. but we didn't want to use excuses, we wanted a solution.

The first few chapters of the book discuss (and help you analyze) what makes you a successful parent. This is honestly a subject that I had never put much thought into before. I posted something about it on Facebook on my status and in a group or two about parenting. I was interested to see what others thought made them a successful parent in order to help me better consider it myself. Comments came in ranging from "A day when there is no bickering amongst the children, homework is completed, and there are no arguments about bedtime." to "My children being happy with whom they are." to "Giving my children more in life than I had.". Interesting answers, don't you agree?

The book takes you through many scenarios, involving the author's childhood memories of instances that spoke to her emotionally, examples involving her preschool and foster children, and showing alternative thinking. It really helps put things into perspective about allowing your children to have more freedom and control, without using timeouts, punishments or rewards. It gives you positive ways to openly communicate with your children and to help them learn to openly communicate with others, including you!

To read my full review and see pictures, please visit my blog - [...]
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Title of Book:  The Secret Power of Middle Children by Catherine Salmon PHD and Katrin Schaumann

It is important that you know who you are as a Middle Child.  Here are the Contents of this wonderful book that focus' on Middle Children:

1. The myth of middle child
2. How do you know if you are a middle child
3. Middle Children are brilliant negotiators
4. Middle children are Trailblazers
5. Middle children are Justice Seekers
6. Middle Children in the workplace
7. Middle Children as friends and lovers
8. Parenting as a middle child
9. Middle children as Parents
10. Looking for the future
11. Bibliography
12. Index

I realize as a middle born child that there are not many books written that dedicates itself to just the middle child born!  I was so interested in what this author had to say.

I find so many of the words to be true in this book.  I am a middle child and it is true that when I was younger I would make my family my friends not necessarily my real family I was born into.  I did feel neglected and overlooked and wanted attention in any way I could get it as my parents paid more attention to the first and last born children in our family.  As I am older I am over this now.

I also find it true to be a justice seeker and truthseeker!  It is just like it's my natural ability to do these things.
I would recommend any middle child to get this book to learn the truth about the middle born children personality.

 2012 Jackie Paulson All Rights Reserved
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This book is one of the results of a research project at Emory University School of Law entitled "The Child in Religion, Law, and Society".  This book is unlike the vast majority of books that deal with childhood, children, and parents. It is not a how-to book for parents, and is sharply critical of approaches to children which take them primarily as problems to be solved. The author, Martin Marty, is a historian who argues that while there are problems to be solved regarding children, we should see the child as a mystery surrounded by mystery. It is sometimes difficult to cash out what he means by this, but then that is the nature of mystery I suppose.  I think he is onto something very important here, insofar as when we reduce children to their biological, chemical, and physical components, Marty rightly points out that we will miss out on other important factors that make up the child and which should inform our approach to children. Children are biological, chemical, and physical beings, but like other persons I would argue they are also something more than this.  It is a mistake to believe that scientific language can fully account for human nature, including the nature of the child. One important implication is that when we understand these things, we no longer see the child as something to be controlled or as something that should often be controlled, but rather as something to also be cherished and enjoyed. This sounds like a cliche, but this is one of those instances, I believe, in which what seems like a platitude to many is more than that. It is a significant truth that should guide our personal, social, and political treatment of children.
4250674
This book by Kay Hymowitz is excellent and should be read by all parents and educators.  It explains just how far society has strayed from giving our children the guidance they need to succeed.
I picked up the book with  the hope of understanding some of the disturbing changes in the students  entering graduate school.  I was not disappointed.
The author's insight,  views and interpretations of the ideas and the events taking place in our  society and how they are affecting the current generations are right on the  mark.  All the consequences discussed by Ms. Hymowitz confront me every  day.  Most notable is the general lack of maturity and discipline in their  lives.  This lack of discipline extends from their social behavior and  dress to their study habits and commitment to learning.  Preparing for a  professional career takes desire, dedication and hard work.  To many  students this is a foreign concept.  They are truly lost souls, and  "Ready or Not" by Kay Hymowitz explains extremely well why this  is so.
551823
Appreciated the outsiders' perspective of the authors, one American, one British, covering many aspects of parenting from childbirth to teens sexual practices. One major difference, more implied than explicitly stated, between the Dutch and Americans raising of children is the government support given to families in the Netherlands.  So, whether there is a transfer of practices possible in the US without similar support is questionable, my most important take aways that are transferable are the giving children freedom to roam the neighborhood, a sort of free range childhood, (there was one report in the major news that an American mom who was cited for letting her children play unattended in a neighborhood park) and the natural conversations about their sexuality throughout childhood so that sex among teens is informed and safe sex.  One huge difference that is probably not transferable that I admired, having retired from public school teaching, is the delay of academic emphasis until after the primary grades and the de-emphasis on competition for the highest grades.  Rather, the emphasis is on play and social interaction.  Can't see Americans giving up on their kids being the smartest, but maybe we would have happier, less stressed kids.  Food for thought for raising happy kids.