The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life

by Scott Turansky, Joanne Miller RN

Overview

Bring about real and lasting change in your child's life and grow in your confidence as a parent.

With advice on parenting coming from friends, social media, popular culture, and so many other places, what do you listen to and what do you ignore? In The Christian Parenting Handbook, you will learn to develop your own biblical philosophy of parenting and use it to filter the many ideas that come your way.

The Christian Parenting Handbook by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, founders of the National Center for Biblical Parenting, compiles 50 parenting principles that use heart-based strategies to teach you how to face daily challenges. When parents focus on the heart, kids learn to ask different questions about life. Instead of asking, "What's in it for me?" they learn to ask, "What's the right thing to do?" You'll soon see how a heart-based approach to parenting looks deeper and brings about greater, lasting change.

In The Christian Parenting Handbook, you'll learn how to:

• Identify heart lessons to teach your child
• Learn ways to correct, instruct, and set limits
• Transfer responsibility for change to your child
• Build internal motivation
• Teach your kids to be solvers instead of whiners
• Identify character qualities to address problems
• Use creativity to teach your kids spiritual truths
• Envision a positive future for your children
• And much more!

With these strategies, you'll be able to move from behavior modification to a heart-based approach to parenting. Instead of relying on rewards, incentives, threats, and punishment, you'll learn how to identify heart lessons to teach your child and implement them in practical ways.

The daily interaction you have with your children can impact them for the rest of their lives. With these 50 heart-based strategies, you'll develop your own biblical philosophy of parenting and gain perspective, greater motivation, and confidence that you're moving in the right direction!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400205196
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	04/29/2013
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Scott Turansky has been a pastor and missionary for more than 33 years and is an author of several books. In addition to pastoring full time, Scott also conducts parenting seminars on Saturdays around the United States(http://www.effectiveparenting.org/). He is the cofounder of the National Center for Biblical Parenting (www.biblicalparenting.org) and has co-authored four books.

Joanne Miller is a pediatric nurse with 26 years of experience and the cofounder of the National Center for Biblical Parenting. She is the coauthor of seven parenting books.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Developing Your Own Biblical Philosophy of Parenting xiii

1 Consistency Is Overrated 1

2 Build Internal Motivation 5

3 Consequences Aren't the Only Answer 10

4 Identify Character Qualities to Address Problems 14

5 Transfer Responsibility for Change to the Child 18

6 The Relational Side of Parenting 23

7 Envision a Positive Future 27

8 Look for Heart Moments 31

9 Make Parenting Shifts 35

10 Parenting Is an Investment-Think Long Term 39

11 Teamwork … Individuals at Their Best 43

12 Your Primary Responsibility 47

13 Bookmark Good Days 51

14 Don't Minimize Your Parenting Power Because Your Partner Does It Differently 55

15 Teach Kids to Add Energy to Family Life 59

16 The Difference Between Tasks, Problems, and Conflict 63

17 It Takes Two to Argue, but Only One to Stop 68

18 Move from the Issue to the Process 72

19 Affirm Approximately Right Behavior 75

20 It's Not Good Enough to Be Right-You Also Want to Be Wise 79

21 Use Firmness to Focus on Character 83

22 Children Can Only Take as Much Pressure as the Relationship Will Allow 87

23 The Difference Between Punishment and Discipline 91

24 Don't Practice in the Grocery Store-That's the Final Exam 95

25 Be Prepared for the Three Arenas of Resistance 99

26 Discipline Kids Separately for Sibling Conflict 103

27 Avoid the Boxing Ring 107

28 Teach Kids to Communicate Emotions Wisely 111

29 Stop Talking and Start Acting 116

30 Don't Give In to Manipulation 120

31 Teach Kids the Wise Appeal 124

32 Use Correction to Challenge the Heart 128

33 To Spank or Not to Spank 132

34 Support Other Authorities Who Work with Your Kids 136

35 How to Pray for Your Kids 140

36 A Child's Anger Problem Needs Attention 144

37 Teach Kids to Be Solvers Instead of Whiners 149

38 Children Need to Learn How to Work Hard 153

39 Fair Doesn't Mean Equal 157

40 Correction Is Valuable 160

41 Use Creativity to Teach Your Kids Spiritual Truths 164

42 When Things Get Intense, Require a Break 168

43 Children Who Play the Blame Game Lose 172

44 Have Kids Report Back 176

45 Use Mealtimes to Build Relationships 180

46 Privilege and Responsibility Go Together 184

47 Firmness Doesn't Require Harshness 187

48 Discipline for Bad Attitudes 191

49 Good Character Qualities Misused 195

50 The Value of Grandparents 199

Conclusion 202

Index 206

About the Authors 219