I love the heart behind this new book by Clay and Sally Clarkson. The Life Giving Parent  is not a step by step instruction book full of the do’s and don’ts of raising children. It is a philosophy of parenting children based on eight key principles derived from scripture. Reading this book was like getting the best parenting counseling session from a Godly couple who successfully raised children who love the Lord.

I enjoyed the chapter on Cultivating Your Child’s Character the most. This chapter is about your child’s “inner person,” their identity, personality, and capability. Clay describes their identity as who they are in God’s eyes, their personality as what they are like by God’s design, and their capability as what they can do with God’s help. Influencing their inner person develops and forms their character. It is so important for our children to know they are loved, redeemed, and created for a purpose. I love how Clay and Sally make a point to remind us that we are the most important influence our children have! Our own lives, how we live and walk out the Christian faith, is the greatest opportunity we have to develop our children’s character.

If you are an expectant parent, or a parent of children who are already half-grown, this book is for you.  I love and appreciate the wisdom of Clay and Sally Clarkson! I requested an advanced copy of  The Life Giving Parent from Tyndale publishing. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.