Parenting: From Surviving to Thriving: Building Healthy Families in a Changing World

by Charles R. Swindoll

Everything that parents need to survive and thrive in the 21st Century. Marriage, children and family have been lifelong priorities for Charles Swindoll. Based on his extensive study of both the Old and New Testaments, Chuck has drawn together those timeless insights for building close and rewarding family relationships. Following a biblical exploration of God's purpose and plans for families, readers are equipped with all the tools necessary to grow strong healthy families. Chuck then takes a clear-eyed look at those areas where parents and families often experience difficulties. In typical Swindoll fashion, these discussions are frank and direct but always leave the reader filled with hope and encouragement.

Selected Chapters:

This Is not your Grandfather's Family
Practical Advice on Making a Marriage Stick
Cultivating a Life of Self-Worth
The Best Kept Secret of Wise Parenting
Increasing the Priority of Your Family
Staying Young as Your Family Grows Older
Danger Signs of Domestic Erosion
Restoring Relationships After You've Blown It
Affirming and Encouraging Words to Dads
Secret Struggles…Family Troubles
From Resentment to Rebellion
Final Words to Families Then and Now

Genres: Parenting, Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Family

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Charles Swindoll has devoted over four decades to two passions: an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God's Word, and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God's grace. Chuck graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary and has since been honored with four doctorates. For his teaching on Insight for Living, he has received the Program of the Year award and the Hall of Fame award from the National Religious Broadcasters as well as multiple book awards.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not learn anything from this book. It was a gift from someone when I was pregnant and after just reading the introduction and first chapter the main message I got was that the author has some serious issues he needs to resolve about his own childhood. Because of that, it just set a negative tone for me for the rest of the book. This was really my first foray into Christian writings on parenthood and I very seriously doubt my last, but there has got to be better ones than this. Aside from the negative tone from the get go, the author offers very little practical advice outside of loving your child and he attempts to interpret scripture for childrearing. If you are familiar with scripture, than this book probably won't add to your knowledge regarding this subject. Overall, I would NOT suggest this book and this one will probably go into the pile of books to get rid of.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best parenting book I've ever read. "Reconciliation when You've Blown It," great chapter. Gives numerical (3 best attitudes of parents) type outline that is easy to follow. Swindoll uses the stories of David and his sons Absalom and Amnon and the rape of his daughter, Tamar to show how permissive and passive parenting can anger and frustrate children, how our "looking the other way" because our own failures as parents might glare beneath the spotlight we put on certain bad behavior of our children and how reconciliation is the only way to heal wounds. Excellent book!! Hopeful and forgiving and a must-read for teens especially.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am halfway through with this book and I am really loving it. Chuck Swindoll goes right to scripture for advice on parenting. He reveals six principles of parenting from Deuteronomy. Topics are understanding how your child was made, establishing a life of self-control, seeing why children move from resentment to rebellion, cultivating a life of self-worth, and the best-kept secret of wise parenting.

[john · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

Currently being a parent. It is hard to read a book. It is nice to gain perspective and no matter how hard you try your going to make mistakes. The author uses God and guidance from god to be a parent and I have known relatives and friends who have become addicted to drugs and rebel at 18 due to the strict rules.
Interesting read though.

[Tishia · Rating 1 out of 5]

He took a punitive viewpoint. I'm a gentle attached Christian mama and this conflicted with my view of the rod scriptures.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think every person not just parent, but son, daughter, brother, and sister should read this book!

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book to read! Everyone can benefit from reading this book. I love Charles Swindoll books. He delves deeply into scripture and I always learn more than I thought I would. This book teaches good strategies to Sedalia with a myriad of childhood behaviors. It also concludes telling parents ultimately we must love others, even those people who can seem to be unloveable, and demonstrate it to our children. They learn more from observing their parents than anything else. This book was a wonderful Bible study book.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's probably a 3.5, but rounding up to a 4 because I think the humble tone and concise format are very commendable. Relatively traditional White Christian parenting "tips" and insights, but presented in a compassionate, loving manner for parents to children. Not overly deep, and not transformative, but encouraging and simple, which I think works for many Christian parents.

[Lenux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a “know-how” book. It is a book with deep reflections and teaching from the Bible. It requires a dedicated and focus reading. Yet, it is not a dry reading, on the contrary you will enjoy the conversational style of Swindoll. This book is a must-read!

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read on child rearing this year! This book helped me big time as a dad! Very Biblically sound and very practical!

[Aubrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure: only read half way. Mixed feelings about the message here.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, sweet, to the point. Feels a little dated but the biblical and core principles are good.

[Alison Nolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10
I’ve had this forever so it was about time I sat down to read this (as well as open up another non-fiction this year).
I’ve listened to Mr. Swindoll since I was a kid & can’t say I’ve read any of his material before.

This was an interesting dive into the challenges of rearing families though.
I especially liked picking apart the Hebrew of the Proverb in the first chapter, being the linguistics nerd that I am.

There were many great Biblical examples of parents both flawed & perfect, along ways to reconcile when we’ve really gone off the rails.

There’s a few other books of his I’d like to check out someday as well, & my mom speaks quite highly of his study Bible.

[Mary Bradford]

wonderfull it teaches a lot for chirstians and parents in general to help you with you children.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need something to help me with my wild animals, um, children. Maybe this is it?