Divine Prayers for Despairing Parents: Words to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say
Suzanne Sheppmann
New Hope Publishers, February 2009, 224 pp., $12.99
www.newhopepublishers.com
Cracking the Parenting Code: Six Clues to Solving the Mysteries of Meeting Your Child’s Needs
Laura Lee Heinsohn
New Hope Publishers, January 2009, 205 pp., $12.99
www.newhopepublishers.com
Think of two different physical actions when you think of these books: falling to your knees and rolling up your sleeves. Both are equally important.
Divine Prayers is a collection of devotions and prayers to help parents (mostly mothers) deal with problems common to parenting teenagers. The overall message is reassuring: You are not alone. The devotions are very specific, perhaps too much so. The book could have been a little more universal, and a topical index would have been great. The guided prayers provide a jumping off point for a reader’s prayers, but the book makes you work to hard to find the right one to pray.
Cracking the Parenting Code is the rolling-up-your-sleeves answer to the same problems. The author understands that being a parent can also mean staying out of your child’s life at times. It’s an “antihovering” guide with practical advice. The book’s subtitle is its heart. In a culture where parents often feel “clueless,” this book gives you six clues–not answers.
