Whitaker House, 2006 updated version,
224 pp., $12.99, www.whitakerhouse.com
All parents have hopes and dreams for their children, and yet “parents are to set their children apart for God’s calling,” says Wesley Fleming. “The purpose of parenting is to train children to fulfill specific callings in the kingdom of God.”
To that end, this book reads like a workbook. Practical and wise, it is highly interactive and provides tools for assessing your child’s spiritual gifting as well as assessing yourself and how you are parenting toward His purpose. Fleming identifies seven emotional needs of kids: protection, acceptance, recognition, enforced limits, nearness, time, and support. He offers simple and concrete ways to meet these needs in the daily lives of our children. Each chapter concludes with action questions or ideas for implementation; and the appendix is filled with practical, ready-to-use tools. Whether you are a new or seasoned parent, Raising Children on Purpose has something for everyone.
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Sonia Urban, youth counselor, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
