Book Review: Motivate Your Child by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller

Are you tired of telling your kids to do chores or to stop fighting for the millionth time (or that's what it feels like to you)? Are you discouraged from expecting maturity from your teens but it seems like it never comes? There's hope and help! Check out Motivate Your Child, my new favorite parenting book! Based on Biblical principles and heart approach to parenting, the authors show parents how to raise and train children to have internal motivation to do the right thing without being told (over and over again). Behavior modification (based on external motivation) appeals to a child's selfishness to get things done with the mindset of  "What's in it for me?" But a heart-based approach parenting teaches children to be internally motivated to do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. The book aims to equip parents to nurture strong moral and spiritual development in their child(ren) which will prepare them for life. Some of the topics covered in the book include conscience, 3 levels of thinking (thinking only about self, thinking about others, and thinking about God), action point, honesty/integrity, guilt, compassion, responsibility, convictions, forgiveness, value of correction, 3 questions to end discipline times well, honor, consequences, boundaries, discipleship, family time, and more.

The book provides helpful strategies and tools to help you be intentional in connecting with your child's heart, developing Scripture-directed conscience and building godly character in him/her. The authors help parents see that spiritual training not only doable but also enjoyable. I like the evaluation form at the end of Chapter 3 which helps me keep track of what areas of the conscience (do what's right, deal with wrongs, be honest, and care about others) my children need improvement on (I also use it to pray specifically for my children). I highly recommend this book which in my opinion, is one of the best parenting books available! Insightful, practical, and encouraging! I only wish I had read this book when my kids were younger.

*To celebrate the release of this awesome book, members of the Launch Team are sharing an awesome giveaway filled with a Go Pro Camera, $50 Mardel Gift Card, $25 Amazon Gift Card, and book bundles from both the National Center for Biblical Parenting and Thomas Nelson Publishing! Three winners will win prizes with a total value of nearly $800! Click here to enter. The deadline is tomorrow (Jan. 28th)!

"What parents say leaves a marked impression on their children's hearts...A parent's words are important in a child's life. They linger in the heart and become food for the conscience." (p. 21, 31)

"Asking teens, 'What's your plan?' instead of barging in and demanding instant obedience can be a way of teaching them to be responsible. It passes the responsibility on to the child to help determine details and to remember to get things done." (p. 51)

"Just because someone feels a sense of peace about something, it doesn't make it right...A trained conscience feeds off the Scriptures. Not all actions have a Bible verse to point to, but a growing knowledge of God's Word produces an internal sense of obligation to do what's right." (p. 54)

"The point we're trying to teach children is that correction is a valuable tool in their lives, and it's a way to learn and grow. God wants us to learn from our mistakes, not beat ourselves up or attack other people." (p. 64)

"If you want your kids to fly straight, teach them obedience. If you want them to fly high, teach them honor...Obedience gets the job done, but honor deals with how that job is done." (p. 85, 88)

"The role of the conscience and the Holy Spirit is to provide guidance for the heart and keep it moving in the right direction." (p. 100)

"There are many good and godly ways to raise children. Just because one technique works with another child doesn't mean it will work with yours. Tailoring a plan for each child will consider specific needs and challenges, resulting i more effective parenting strategies." (p. 110)

"Passing on the faith is more than imparting biblical knowledge or explaining theology. It's living it out. When children see faith lived out in the everyday activities of life, they're more apt to catch it. " (p. 142)

"A strong family seeks to bless others, cares for others, and helps them find God in tangible ways. In short, the family is a place where children become disciples of Jesus Christ so they can impact the world. They learn how to become disciple-makers themselves." (p. 160-161)

About the Authors:

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.

NOTE: $150 Pre-Order Deal--Anyone who pre-orders the book at any retail outlet by January 31, 2015 will receive a Bonus Parenting Strategy Package full of parenting resources worth $150. 

The Bonus Parenting Strategy Pack includes:

• Toolbox of Consequences Video and Study Guide • Kids and Conscience Video and Study Guide • Children’s Activity Lessons for Conscience Development • Children’s Activity Lessons on Correction • Strong Willed Child Teaching Points • Make Devotions Fun MP3 • How to Develop Gracious Speech MP3

Learn more about all of these resources here:

http://www.biblicalparenting.org/motivateyourchildpreorder.asp

INSTRUCTIONS: Purchase the book. Email the receipt to

gift@biblicalparenting.org. They will send you the link and a special code

to access these downloadable products. This offer is good until January

31, 2015.