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Raising Godly Tomatoes: Loving Parenting With Only Occasional Trips to the Woodshed by L. Elizabeth Krueger
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 2, 2024
Let's talk about the Pros first:
- I was pleasantly surprised by some of the qualifiers and nuance included in this book. While it (rightly) has a reputation for being very strict, there were some instances where it offered opportunity for patience/mercy/forbearance/etc. that I wasn't expecting.
- The advice given is very specific. While I don't think any parenting advice is good to take in a super formulaic way, it's nice to at least have some ideas to glean from, and some actionable steps to take rather than the practically meaningless principle statements found in many parenting books
- I appreciate that she provided some examples of how the principles could be applied without physical spanking. Many traditional parenting gurus would never concede in that area no matter what, so it was good to see that allowances could be made in that.
The Cons are more obvious:
- There were 3-5 instances where I noted in the margins that the advice or sentiment given is simply foul. One that comes to mind is where she advises someone with an arrogant child to impress upon them that anything that is good in them is because of someone else. There is a difference between taking someone down a peg and crushing their spirit. That is definitely in the realm of spirit-crushing.
- This is a very prescriptive, formulaic book. "Follow this exact model, achieve these exact results." The self-righteous tone is distracting. I can't trust anyone who is 100% sure that the way they live and function is "God's Way, Period."
If you can push past that, the bulk of it is, well, tolerable. I fluctuated between being extremely encouraged and being annoyed and disgusted. Not sure what that says about me or about the book. But hey, I finished it.
I think it's one I'll keep on my shelf, but will not be loaning out.
- I was pleasantly surprised by some of the qualifiers and nuance included in this book. While it (rightly) has a reputation for being very strict, there were some instances where it offered opportunity for patience/mercy/forbearance/etc. that I wasn't expecting.
- The advice given is very specific. While I don't think any parenting advice is good to take in a super formulaic way, it's nice to at least have some ideas to glean from, and some actionable steps to take rather than the practically meaningless principle statements found in many parenting books
- I appreciate that she provided some examples of how the principles could be applied without physical spanking. Many traditional parenting gurus would never concede in that area no matter what, so it was good to see that allowances could be made in that.
The Cons are more obvious:
- There were 3-5 instances where I noted in the margins that the advice or sentiment given is simply foul. One that comes to mind is where she advises someone with an arrogant child to impress upon them that anything that is good in them is because of someone else. There is a difference between taking someone down a peg and crushing their spirit. That is definitely in the realm of spirit-crushing.
- This is a very prescriptive, formulaic book. "Follow this exact model, achieve these exact results." The self-righteous tone is distracting. I can't trust anyone who is 100% sure that the way they live and function is "God's Way, Period."
If you can push past that, the bulk of it is, well, tolerable. I fluctuated between being extremely encouraged and being annoyed and disgusted. Not sure what that says about me or about the book. But hey, I finished it.
I think it's one I'll keep on my shelf, but will not be loaning out.
May 29, 2025
Krueger's approach to discipline is intense. She proposes mothers should watch their children 100% of the time, immediately discipline children for even the tiniest hints of disobedience, and utilize spanking frequently.
Kruger's excellent use of scripture decidedly backs up her methods. Kruger also excels, perhaps more than ANY parenting book, at providing practical advice. For example: one tip she provided is to gently tap your screaming childs lips and say "no," allowing your little one to realize their mouth is what is making that loud screeching noise and you'd like them to stop.
While I wouldn't say this is my favorite "how to" discipline book, I think it provides really sound and practical advice to handling tough times with toddlers.
Kruger's excellent use of scripture decidedly backs up her methods. Kruger also excels, perhaps more than ANY parenting book, at providing practical advice. For example: one tip she provided is to gently tap your screaming childs lips and say "no," allowing your little one to realize their mouth is what is making that loud screeching noise and you'd like them to stop.
While I wouldn't say this is my favorite "how to" discipline book, I think it provides really sound and practical advice to handling tough times with toddlers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews