Unshakable Kids: Three Keys to Raising Spiritually Strong and Emotionally Healthy Children

by Lauren Gaines

You may feel anxious about sending your child out into a world that too often feels dark and scary. But you can prepare your kids to live in the real world by equipping them with a sound mind and strategies for establishing a foundation of faith.

Adversity is a normal part of life, and when we keep our children too protected, we rob them of the opportunity to learn and practice essential life skills like discernment, understanding, boldness, and resilience. Using Scripture and principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, Unshakable Kids gives you the tools to equip your children to withstand the negative pressures of society and walk bravely into the world with wisdom. This book will show you how to model the qualities you want to build in your kids, control anxious thoughts, and help your kids rest in their identities as children of God.

With God's Word and these brain-based tools, you can raise emotionally healthy and spiritually strong children who not only remain unshaken by the world, but can actually make a positive impact on it.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

Lauren Gaines is a writer, teacher, mother, and creator of Inspired Motherhood, a thriving online community for moms to find practical tools to raise spiritually and emotionally healthy kids. While Lauren has a master’s degree in school psychology and experience teaching undergraduate psychology, she currently stays busy as a mother of three. She and her husband, Darryl, live in Pennsylvania with their three children.

Reviews

[Emily Nowakowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that I'll definitely read again!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ FOR ALL PARENTS!

[Rebecca John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unshakable Kids is as fresh and real as you can get! Lauren shares from a place of vulnerability and strength about her own journey in learning to overcome some of the challenges in parenting. Sharing and weaving together academic research, real-life applications, and stories that bring the concepts to life, she offers a guide to breaking out of the negative patterns and strongholds the keep us from thriving in family. Every step of the way, she grounds her discussion in Scripture and shares her experiences with bringing up her kids in the faith during a generation when that frankly feels very hard to do.
So many times, I felt like I was reading about conversations or struggles with my own children as I read the book. Lauren has the ability to break down abstract concepts like self-esteem and negative mindsets in order to make them practical and easily understood. She doesn’t just want you to read and understand the research, she wants you to be able to apply it immediately. The brain builders and faith builders scattered throughout the book offer practical exercises to apply the concepts both individually and with your children. She gives the reader a clear picture of what this might look like with kids of various ages through examples and sample conversation starters.
In a time where conversations about mental health, breaking generational patterns, and gentle parenting focus on the self and the individual, Lauren offers a freshly balanced perspective of honoring our children’s emotional lives by teaching them to be emotionally intelligent, but also grounding them in the Truth of who they are so that their emotions do not rule them. I recommend this to any parent who has been frustrated with their own mental battles or concerned about the way their children are learning to think and talk about themselves.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lauren provides several practical tips for how to raise kids who are unshakable in their faith. I appreciated the practice in teaching kids how to understand and manage their big emotions and draw them in line with scripture. I was a bit worried that this book would go the direction that many Christian parenting books do, but it wasn't too bad. I've struggled as a working mom with a part time husband feeling seen in Christian books since most seem to assume a stay at home mom. I didn't feel that way in this book, but it did seem to put a lot of pressure on the mother as the "one who sets the tone". Not my favorite part. But I think she did pull it back with her chapter on rest. I find rest is incredibly important to me as a working mom. I recognize the importance of a clean home, and I do my best. But, I need to care for myself. As an introvert who sometimes gets peopled out by my children, having some alone time is critical to my well-being. The challenge is to spend that time doing things that actually are restful, and Lauren touched on that as well. Overall, it wasn't my favorite book, but I'm able to draw out some pointers.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Janell Kremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parenting is a challenge, especially in today's spiritually dark climate. Unshakable Kids is like a bright light in the darkness! It offers many practical tools for parents. In this book you will learn how to teach and train your kids how to renew their minds, taking control over anxious thoughts, how to guard their hearts, and how to establish a healthy home. Unshakable Kids also has these incredible "faith formers" in each chapter that guide parents to challenge growth in their children's own personal journey of faith in God. My favorite chapters were "Our Walls Have Scars" and "Our Identity as Children of God." This book is surely annointed for such a time as this! After reading Unshakable Kids, I feel equipped to teach a wide variety of healthy coping strategies to my children so they can successfully handle the stresses they encounter in life. And I feel more confident sharing with them what the Bible has to say about who they are in Christ. As a former teacher and mother of two, I highly recommend Unshakable Kids to parents who have a desire to raise spiritually strong and emotionally healthy children! 🧠 ✝️ 💪🏼

[Sarah Monceaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

◦ Unshakable Kids is one of those books that sticks with you long after you’ve finished reading it. With her background in psychology, Lauren confirms that science truly is catching up with the Word of God. She includes practical Brain Builders throughout each chapter to help you implement what you are learning. If you’re needing to make the adjustment from chaos to peace in your home, take every thought captive, or grow in your journey of motherhood, this book does just that. Through nourishing the mind, heart, and identity of our children, we can help them become Unshakable in this unsteady culture.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of parenting books, so I wasn't sure if I was going to get anything out of this one, but it is truly a different take. The author has a background in school counseling, so she gets both children and adults.

My biggest takeaway so far is that we, as parents, must be on a firm foundation before expecting our children to be. We can do this through emotional stability and changing our own thoughts, "holding them captive to be obedient to Christ."

This is definitely a book worth reading!

[Elizabeth Adegboro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unshakable kids is a must-have book that must be read by every parent. It is an eye-opener that we can raise kids who are resilient in every ramification even in this generation. It reveals salient truths about family life and relationships in practical ways. Most important is the author's approach to using scriptural lens to give practical insights into God's expectations of parents and their kids. Unshakable kids gives an experience that can't be shared, you just need to read it for yourself!

[Melissa Kreycik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a Christian child psychologist, giving parents tools they need to help their kids themselves - It was encouraging and helpful! Nothing groundbreaking for me, being familiar with the subject already, I found myself agreeing with mostly everything. I appreciate her giving biblical reasons for several psychology tools, like capturing your thoughts and how we can help our kids recognize when it's time to do that.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got into my hands at the perfect time. I often tuck the kids in at night only the review the day and think “ugh I’m messing this up and ruining my kids!” The words in this book soothed my mama heart and gave me real strategies to do better - not by my power but with the help of the Holy Spirit! Thank you Lauren for sharing these beautiful insights with the world!

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wrestled with how to rate this book - wish I could have given it "half stars." Lauren's writing voice is authentic, relatable and enjoyable - she reads like a friend at your kitchen table (with lots of psychological knowledge!). However, I think we have inherently different approaches to Christian parenting. While I did glean some truths and reminders from her book, I didnt love it overall.

[Jamie McKevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this book. As some others have mentioned, I often struggle connecting with Christian parenting books as a working mom. I felt Lauren did a nice job with offering practical advice that I can incorporate into our lives to both strengthen their faith and our connection as a family.

[Abby | Beloved Books & Things · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with how to rate and review this book because overall it was excellent! There were very practical tips paired with research. However, there were a few points where the author’s explanation of theology did not align with the Bible, and therefore I gave it two stars.

I was lucky enough to read a pre released copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley. Thank you!

[Amy Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unshakable Kids by Lauren Gaines has some good, practical ways to make sure your kids stay grounded and emotionally healthy. I did feel like there wasn’t really anything new, just confirmation of things that conscientious parents already likely do. It was a good reminder to keep doing the things we already do.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so life-giving for me. I want to raise a spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy child, and this book challenged me to start with myself. I feel renewed and refreshed in my calling as a mom and in my abilities as a woman of God. I know my journey to emotional and mental health will never be perfect, but I know the hard work is worth it.

[Jill McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those moms who want to raise kids who know who they are in Christ and can not only survive but thrive in a world gone crazy, this book is for you. Filled with practical tools based on scripture and science, this is a must-read for all the mamas!

[Stephanie Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the practical help with actual steps to take. I am implementing some of the strategies in this book, and they work!