Hindsight

Some have asked about the books I recommended on Sunday so here they are:

Hide or Seek by Dr. James Dobson

Parenting with Love and Logic by Dr. Foster Cline

Christian Child Rearing and Personality Development by Dr. Paul Meier

These 3 books have been very significant to me in raising my kids.  I hope they are helpful to you as well.

Parents can feel isolated and embarrassed about issues their kids are dealing with and never confide in another parent about their struggles.  Some parents also feel hesitant about going to a counselor to get some feedback concerning how their parenting is working.  So reading a couple of books is so helpful for gaining the depth of wisdom that comes from professionals who counsel hundreds of parents. 

I’ve found in my own life there can be a fog of understanding when I’m trying to evaluate my life.  I was sitting in a counselors office a couple of years ago talking about some struggles I was having and after about an hour this psychologist said to me, “You know what your problem is?!”  I said, “No, that’s why I’m here!”  He said, “You sound very …!”  I said, “That’s it!”  In one short hour this guy was able to put his finger on the heart of the issue and help summarize my difficulty.  That was really helpful because I could see what I needed to do next to correct the issue.  The fog dissipated and the next steps were clear.

I recommend books because they can be just as helpful as counseling and the cost is a whole lot lower.  You also get advice from people who have seen child rearing patterns and strategies that have consistently worked.  Advice about breaking your own negative parenting patterns are a part of these books as well.

Take action, don’t get discouraged and quit trying or sit in apathetic silence, get a couple of books and try a few new ideas.  Hopefully they’ll pay off in big relationship rewards with your kids.

God bless,

Pastor Ed