I’m a mom. It’s a tough job. Here comes summer…school is out and we have three frenzied fabulous months with our kids home.
I know I can’t do this alone, and I’m not supposed to. Titus 2:4 tells the church to help train women to love their husbands and children. Through the gift of books, I’ve found mentors who help me figure out this role of parenting and shift my perspective. And that’s the number one reason I read. I get stuck in my own head unless I hear new stories and the wisdom of others.
Different problems take different solutions. Sometimes I need a good how-to manual or a goal-setting session to make something work. Sometimes I need a story. Books can provide all of these keys to our life challenges.
In prep for summer, I love to take some time in May and reevaluate my goals to live intentionally. Make a summer fun plan with my family. And of course make a reading list.
So if you’re a mom, as you get ready for a summer with your kids (or even feel like you need to jump start yourself out of survival mode), and plan to do some reading by the pool (even if it’s the kiddie pool in the back yard), take care of yourself by reading some Super Awesome Parenting books that will shape you. I’m sharing my top 3 picks and why below.
Mom Set Free (Jeannie Cunnion)
My parenting life should be subtitled, Grace and Rules: How to balance them. Because seriously, you can’t parent well without teaching your kids to obey, to follow directions, and to live by the rules. But you can do it without creating little legalists. Jeannie Cunnion lives this out so well and her book changed my life. She teaches us how to recognize our need for God and raise our kids to understand that, too. I’ve never read a book that put grace to action in parenting so clearly.
Read this book if…
- You want to understand how to live grace out in everyday life
- You find yourself mad at your kids more often than you enjoy them
- You’re a current or recovering perfectionist
Disclaimer: I only did the interactive Bible study version of this book but it also comes in a typical book format. Here’s the link for the version I used.
Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid and the Mom Who Loved Him (Sally Clarkson and Nathan Clarkson)
Going through hard things sometimes doesn’t require a how-to book. We might just need a story. As the mom of a high-needs kid, the book showed me I am not alone. It validated all the unusual ways I struggle to feel seen and heard. It’s written by Nathan, who grew up with OCD and ADHD and other sensory issues, and his mom, Sally (who’s like an online mentor to me). Because of this book, I now accept that not all parenting advice may apply to me. I learned to trust God’s leading in how I love and train my kids. I learned to start looking for the ways God gifted my kids instead of seeing the parts that were hard to manage.
Read this book if…
- You parenting seems harder for you than you expected
- You need help seeing your kid’s situation from a different perspective
- You feel alone in the hard parts of parenting
Boundaries with Kids (Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend)
It’s been a hard few months since we’ve transitioned from Iowa to Kentucky as a family. I realized recently that I got stuck in the “keep the kids happy” mode somewhere along the way. That’s when my kids walk all over me and I lose it. It’s not a pleasant way to live. So I really needed this book recently.
This quote sums it up: “Children need to know that their problems are their own problems, no one else’s. Their life is their own little red wagon, and their job is to pull it, without expecting someone else to.” The concept of teaching our kids boundaries in life revolutionizes the way we see God’s instructions and natural life consequences. This book makes parenting simpler. And gosh darn it, we need all the simplicity we can get in 21st century Western culture.
Read this book if…
- If you feel stuck in your parenting
- If you need help giving your kids more natural consequences
- If you feel like your kids take advantage of you
What’s on your summer reading list? Let me know if you pick up one of these books! I’d love to hear your thoughts, or even your favorite parenting book recommendation.
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