Book Review: The Christian Parenting Handbook

The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life. By Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, R.N. Thomas Nelson: Nashville, Tennessee. pp. 240. 2013. (List Price $16.99 Paperback | Kindle)

Reviewed by my wife Hannah.

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4 out of 5 stars

If you’re overwhelmed trying to choose a Christian parenting book from all the options available, try starting with this small book. Short chapters and practical examples make it easy to pick up and set down if you only have a few minutes to read at a time. Unlike other books about raising children, I didn’t have to sift through statistics on teen pregnancy or an explanation of child development. The authors stuck to the main point of the book: developing a biblical parenting philosophy.

Besides its conciseness, I also liked how the advice is relevant for any age group, from toddlers to teens. Most chapters present a basic principle, like firmness instead of harshness, and then elaborate on how to use the principle in specific situations. I would recommend it for parents who want to raise responsible, Godly children.

I did not appreciate how the authors pull Bible verses out of context to support their points. The book doesn’t take time to explain to understand the verses outside of a narrow focus on parenting. New Christians may especially have difficulty understanding what they read in the Bible after reading this book because the Bible isn’t a collection of verses about parenting and other topics.

Even though I don't like the authors' use of Scripture, I would still recommend this book because it teaches Biblical thinking about parenting in an easy-to-read format.

I received this book from the publisher for the purposes of review. The opinions expressed are my own.