Member Reviews
Book for Christian parents. It's always good to know we are not alone. May we raise strong adn sharp arrows.
Thankful for this book! Crystal's honesty and humility shared are inspiring and helpful for parents in all seasons. Her advice and personal lessons learned give readers practical steps to improve their parenting.
If you’re feeling discouraged in your parenting journey, I encourage you to pick up Love-Centered Parenting by Crystal Paine. It’s encouraging, applicable, and a breath of fresh air for weary parents. I highly recommend it!
This is a well written, much needed book for Christian parents! I really appreciated Crystal's honesty and upfront sharing of her experiences, good and not so good, all the while protecting the privacy of her children. I also appreciate how she herself admits she doesn't get it right every time and is still a work in progress.
Although I can't summarize it as beautifully as Crystal could, her main point is that we can't love our children as God intends us to until we begin to realize and understand how deeply loved we are by our Heavenly Father. Once we begin the journey of living and dwelling in that position of being loved, we can begin to parent our children out of that love...but the work has to happen in our own hearts first.
*I received a free digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
Christian perspective with practical approaches when your child is struggling
As a professional counselor, I loved this book because it dug into how to get help when your kid is really struggling. The author also shared the benefits that counseling can bring not only for a child but also when their parent is involved, this book was real and practical.
I loved this honest and helpful book. It is a simple read that leaves you with a lot to thing about. Its an encouraging book that helps you see the joys of love centered parenting even in the hardest trials..
Transformative read about parenting from a place of being loved and pouring that love out into our children. What I loved most about this particular book is its practical application. Paine provides a how-to with actual, actionable steps to start the process of loving our children for who they are, and doing life alongside them rather than just around them. I have been deeply challenged and have committed to engaging my children in authentic relationship.
I've read this book twice now and I feel that it gave me new perspectives and reflection points each time. Crystal Paine has written a love letter to loving your children well. This isn't a run of the mill parenting book with a how-to guide for raising the next CEO or globe trotting trend setter. Love-Centered Parenting directs you back to love and calmness to direct a healthy and loving relationship with your children.
I've recommended this book to friends who are newly pregnant, those who have young children, and even those who might have walked the same struggling paths that the Paine family walked.
This is a parenting-life changing book. I found that I identified with about 90% of the things that the author said in this book. For real. I didn't expect that at all. I though, I know this. This will be a good refresher. But seriously, it opened up my hearts and my heart in an entirely new way. I highlighted so much of the book and have even quoted it to friends. A couple of the statement/quotes I've already memorized because they are just THAT GOOD. Like wow. One of my favorites that just hit me square between the heart ventricles was, "If I always protect my kids from heartache and hurt...then I'm raising them to be children who rely on their mom instead of adults who rely on God."
Wow. I thinks that's what I've been doing as a parent. I didn't think I was parenting out of fear or worry. And yet reading this book has opened my eyes to how I was doing just that.. Simply in a different way than I thought.
But if I raise them simply through love--loving them as Christ loves us--then I will be raising them to be adults (and even teens) who rely on God.
The key is understanding how Christ loves us. Because He doesn't love us while not correcting us. He still corrects us. He still says sin is sin. But regardless of our behavior, He loves us and calls us higher to Himself.
Another quote that I loved was, "You don't yell at a flower that isn't thriving; you water it."
Reading this book has made me much more aware of how I speak to them--words and tone--how much I listen to them, how much I love on them, how critical or grace-filled I am with them.
I know she says toward the beginning of the book that it is for parenting younger children because she is still in the process of raising teenagers so she can't speak to that....I will say, this most definitely is something for parents of teens. I have kids ages 9-15, and this spoke to my heart DEEPLY for all of my kids. I think, in fact, my 15 year old might need it even more, because he knows right from wrong. He's been raised well and he's a really good kid. But when I am so concerned with other's opinions or making sure I get everything right with him....I become more critical and less loving. When I can just focus on God doing a work in him through my love and direction, it is a game changer!
Will be rereading and recommending this book regularly!
Parenting is always a struggle, but these past two years have been really hard for me.
I was in the peak point of really needing a strong support mom group, but of course with reasons that are completely understandable that was not happening. I have read this book and also listened to the audio, it makes me feel so much better and has helped in many ways.
A breath of fresh air for those of us who wanted so badly to "do everything right" in raising our children. Humble and honest, biblical and practical--this book was encouraging without being overwhelming.
The audio version, read by the author, is delightful as well! (I listened on Scribd.)
What a beautiful book about really loving our kids and responding to them in love as Christ loves them instead of always being so quick with a sermon or responding out of exasperation. This was a really god read and had lots of really good tips! I got this book for my honest review from Netgalley.
This was a different type of book for me to pick up and read. I am so grateful for the honesty and transparency that Crystal Paine provided in these pages. I found some helpful words for me and my family. I loved how I can take the words and the work the Paine Family laid out and apply it in a way that works for us.
One of the best things about this book is that it doesn't just tell you what to do as a parent, it takes you through Crystal's experience and how she got to the point she is now as a parent. I think this book could really change people's lives if they are not parenting this way, and could be a great help to parents and their children to find a better way before the critical teen years where a kid can get derailed if they don't know that their parents love them above everything else.
I think the vast majority of parents feel intense love for their kids, but they don't always know how to translate that love into the actions that are best for them and that will show that love to them in the best possible way. Some of that is because they were not loved in the best possible way themselves. Some of it may be because they haven't experienced God's love in a transforming way themselves. This book will help with all of that and make an impact on a family that could last many generations.
Love-Centered Parenting by Crystal Paine is an inspired parenting book directly for all families. Crystal Paine is a well known blogger on the Money Saving Mom. She has four kids and her online persona is one of leading with love and admitting that not all is perfect. However, this book takes a deep dive and gives many examples of how we can lead with love and step into the complex world our kids have created.
What makes this book unique is the plethora of real life issues and how she handled it, right or maybe after some reflection incorrectly. You are given creative insights with the emphasis to make it your own. By taking the time to reflect and plan hard situations you are cementing God's word in your heart and sharing your light with your children. While it does have a biblical perspective it would be a valuable resource for all. The honesty is what makes this book special.
You can reflect upon the ideas shared and come up with your own strategies to impact your life. The stories were current and dealt with issues that families face. Your soul will truly be nourished, and peace can be achieved, as you take stock of where you are and do the work to get to where you want your family to be.
I was provided a free advance reader copy from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.
A well written book full of great advice on how to love your child well. I highly recommend this book. Thanks for the advanced copy.
Well written and engaging and fantastic advice for parents of young ones but since my kids are well past the early years, I didn’t glean much. Would definitely recommend to parents in an earlier stage though!
Love-Centered Parenting: The No-Fail Guide to Launching Your Kids by Crystal Paine is a wonderful book that all parents should read. This book is both simple yet profound. Ultimately, this author has learned a lot of lessons in her mom heart and she delivers them in this book. It is a treasure. She points parents to Jesus and gives meaningful action points at the end of each chapter. I highly recommend this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.
Love-Centered Parenting: The No-Fail Guide to Launching Your Kids by Crystal Paine is a new Christian parenting book. I have been a follower of Crystal's blog (Money Saving Mom) for a few years and appreciate her tips on saving money. Her ministry has evolved over the years and now I really enjoy her openness at sharing about what she is learning from God as a parent as well. This book is honest and has great practical advice. I especially liked chapters 5-7 and will revisit this book again as a parenting resource. I highly recommend this book to parents. Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for this review copy.
I am so fortunate to be on the launch team for this book -- it has affected me so much! In a good way! I had to stop several times while reading to take notes, so many of Crystal's words stopped me in my tracks. Especially this passage, "Instead, I heard myself utter some unexpected words, "You may not feel like you're beautiful right now, but the truth is that you are. I want you to know, you are welcome to voice how you're feeling (as in, 'I feel ugly') at any time. But I don't want you to make negative 'I am" statements about yourself, because they are actually lies, and we don't allow lying in our home".
I read that passage and just cried. I have a young daughter at home and she has already started the negative "I am" statements. I am SO thankful to Crystal for putting this book out there for all of us. I was hooked during the introduction. Her writing style is professional, but so easy to read and follow. She is thought-provoking and challenging, while also calming. It's a wonderful balance.
*Disclaimer: I am not Christian as the author is. There are Christian themes throughout the book, but I did not feel overwhelmed by them at all. If you are on the fence about reading because you are not aligned spiritually with the author, I encourage you to still give it a chance