9 Resources for Parenting Your School Age Child

9 Resources for Parenting Your School-Age Child

Posted on by Michele Morin

I have a complicated relationship with parenting books. As a new mother, I read all the books, analyzed all the angles, second-guessed all the decisions, and the only thing that saved my sanity is that Google had not yet been invented. That tightrope walk persisted for years until I learned to view the books with their diverse offerings of wisdom as a gathering place, a fellowship of parenting. Since there is an endless number of ways to be a good parent, I finally realized that it is helpful to read multiple perspectives … and it is most decidedly not helpful to take every piece of advice as gospel. Even so, with shared wisdom and reassurance from their own parenting successes and failures, it is a gift when authors come alongside other parents with a collection of answers — as well as a fistful of new questions — to stimulate growth in their readers, both personally and parentally.

Join me over at The Redbud Post where I’m sharing nine of the best parenting resources I’ve read and reviewed here at Living Our Days. In the growing and the learning and the letting go of raising children, we long for wisdom that is both biblical and practical. We want reassurance that we are not failing, that we have not already destroyed our children with our misguided choices and haphazard ways. We need insights that acknowledge the uniqueness of each child, each family and each set of circumstances. In the perpetual challenge of raising another generation of believers, we need fuel that will enable us to fight against the prevailing culture and for hope and joy because so often we are swimming upstream. When the sun sets on another day in the life of your growing family, whatever resources you choose to consult along the way, first consider Jesus, for He alone can enable us to make our parenting vision a reality.

Redbud Writers Guild

I hope you’ll be encouraged and inspired by the collection of resources I’ve compiled, and that you will also take some time to visit the other offerings on the site, reminding you that you are not alone in your parenting journey,

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

33 thoughts on “9 Resources for Parenting Your School-Age Child”

  1. Um, well, having raised three and been blessed to be near enough to have input on raising their seven, I’d have to declare that, in my experience, prayer, lots of prayer, has been the most dependable resource for parenting. Ten humans. Not one like the other. What worked for one didn’t work for the others. Lots and lots (times ten) of prayer.
    🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. As our two tiny grandchildren continue to grow, it becomes increasingly evident to me that what you say about uniqueness is SO VERY true. Prayer is the resource that carries us through parenting and into grandparenting. My husband and I were just observing yesterday that grandparenting is an entirely different skill set. We have a lot to learn.

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    1. Just this week I got an email from a publisher with suggested books for review, and the parenting books keep coming! This certainly points to a need that’s out there, but, at the same time, we have to be discerning about whose advice we are receiving. I do appreciate Meema’s thoughts on prayer earlier in the comments.

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  3. I’m a pediatric nurse practitioner and I seem to dispense parenting advice on a regular basis! There’s so much advice out there–sadly, the people who need guidance are the ones to least seek it out!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’ve been told time and time again that the best thing I can do for my kids is love my husband well. And truly, I think in parenting sons, the way we esteem (or fail to esteem) our husbands plays a huge role in our sons’ self -esteem.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Good question. Oddly, I’d say it was the only book in the collection that is not a parenting book. Andy Crouch’s thoughts on Leadership and Parenting in Strong and Weak have stayed with me and been really formative.

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  6. Like they say, “Ask ten people, and you’d very likely get ten different opinions”. In the end it’s always up to us to make a choice. Thanks for sharing, Michele. Blessings to you.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. I love reading parenting books for the same reason! I think it’s important to read and learn about different approaches and use what works for your own family. Like you said, it’s always relevant to keep in mind that each family and child are unique. Therefore, each family will relate to different parenting methods and approaches.

    Most importantly, if we keep Christ in the center of our lives, He will help us and guide us through this parenting journey! I just shared on my blog a recent parenting book I read that was written by one of my favorite Christian bloggers (Brittany Ann) and it was so helpful to me and my family! She is a wonderful mama and woman of God. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post!

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  9. As a grandma I couldn’t agree with you more about being careful with parenting tips . More and more I find the world bombarded with information overload that can confuse and confound . We have to be judicious with our resources but as you say God and His wisdom is the ultimate resource we can always depend on !

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  12. Yep. It took me awhile to figure out that no one book has all the advice that will work with your unique child. I’m glad our daughter figured that out earlier in her parenting journey!

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  13. I often wish I lived close enough to you to sit and glean from your wisdom! This post sounds like a virtual chance to do just that! Thanks for sharing it at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
    Tina

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  14. I love the way you look at parenting resources. I can remember a few books I just wanted to burn because I felt so inadequate after reading them. (They were probably all about potty training.) I finally learned to glean a bit here and there and learn from various sources. Thanks for the great insight and for sharing it with us at Encouraging Word Wednesday!

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