Nurturing Spirituality in Children: Simple Hands-On Activities

Nurturing Spirituality in Children: Simple Hands-On Activities by Peggy Joy Jenkins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is full on hands-on activities to do with your children to help them grow spriritually. There are a lot of easy and fun activities you can do with your children. In the beginning of the book, the author explains different types of positive affirmations to do with your children. I really liked this excerpt from the book:

"The most important affirmations for children are those that build their self-esteem. Self-esteem is the foundation of joyful, successful lives. Many parents and teachers teach their small children to use the magic words "I like myself.""

Don't Make Me Count to Three

Don't Make Me Count to Three: a Mom's Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline by Ginger Plowman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of my good friends recommended this book to me. I read it in about a day and couldn't put it down. It really sparked my interest. The author is a mother who is learning the ropes, just as we all are. She wrote about disciplining your children so that you aren't just correcting the behavior, but we are molding their heart. The great thing about the book is that she gave examples and phrases you could use when discipling your kids. I love the hands on material she provided! Since both of my daughters seem to wear their heart on their sleeve, it made sense to really talk things through with them and practice how I expect them to behave. The book made me look at what I am currently doing with my kids and really look at what I am doing is effective. Who couldn't use a few pointers? I need to communicate and really guide my children. It's my job as a parent. The author is quick to admit that no two children are alike and that what works for one, might not work for another.

Part of the book also talks about spanking vs. no spanking. This one was difficult for me. I was spanked as a child and I'm not sure I want that for my kids. The author talks about it being the will of God to spank our children in order to teach them to be good people. She made a lot of good points. I spank my kids only when they are diliberately disobeying. I can't imagine doing it for every misdemeanor! I walked away with something to think about.

If you have kids, I highly recommend this book.