Help! I'm Ruining My Kids: A Gospel Guide for the Mom Who's Desperate for Change

by Abbey Wedgeworth

Are you worried that, despite your best efforts, you're messing up your kids? Help! I'm Ruining My Kids is your invitation to trade defeat and fear for hope and joy as you follow the biblical road map to becoming the mom you're meant to be.

We all desperately want to be good mothers who produce good humans, but our flaws and habits get in the way. We're reactive when we want to be intentional. We check out when we need to be engaged. And at the end of a long day, our minds are often flooded with thoughts of self-condemnation.

Author and mother Abbey Wedgeworth has been there too. But she has an important message to share with fellow Nothing is beyond redemption—not you, not your experience of motherhood, and not your kids' experience of your imperfections.

In Help! I'm Ruining My Kids, Abbey invites you to journey with her toward a place where God's grace frees you from a guilty conscience, his compassion ministers to your past and present hardships, and his Spirit transforms you to look more like Jesus. With refreshing transparency, practical wisdom, and biblical encouragement, Abbey helps you

Identify and accept your personal limits Develop realistic expectations for motherhood Discover how to fight against mom guilt and the shame that comes with it Create a comprehensive action plan for change Learn to parent well as a work in progress The good news is we can change—with a few practical tools and a whole lot of God's grace.

Genres: Parenting, Faith

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2026

About the author

Abbey Wedgeworth is a wife, mother, and writer based on the South Carolina coast.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Santelmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the whole thing because the last chapter made me cry in the best way. This book is the one wish I had when I was starting my walk with God as a mom!! Even 12 years into the journey it was comforting, encouraging, and gave me some new strategies to try.

I almost never recommend parenting books, but Abbey’s willingness to go first and share how the grace of God meets us in low moments shows she really believes it.

I love seeing the things she’s read and the way she has allowed good parenting practices to marry with theology in a relatable and easy to understand way!

She has practical tips, but reminds us over and over that Christ is where we can find our worth. It’s not in how well we clean our house. Not in being perfectly patient all the time. We don’t find it in the way we dress and dress our kids. Parenting is about us realizing we need Jesus and we can point our kids to him everyday.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a no questions asked 5 star book for me, a rating I don't often give out. I have never read a parenting book that has spoken to my heart, challenged and encouraged me so much. Abbey's writing style is easy to read. It is not over your head thoughts that are hard to understand. Real life stories (some very vulnerable) from her with real life application for me. She clearly points to Jesus throughout the book. The conclusion brought tears to my eyes. I appreciated the concrete application she gave that can be put into practice right away. The Parenting Connection, Believe It For Your Motherhood, and Apply It To Your Parenting were great ways to end each chapter. I am excited to use the discussion questions that are included at the end of the book, no extra purchase needed. Don't ask me how much I underlined in this book...it was a lot! If you are on the fence about if you should read this book, you should! I have bought multiple copies to give to friends.

[Allyn Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. Faith based parenting book. While this is probably geared or maybe best for moms in the thick of it with younger kiddos, I have two teen boys and found lots of great advice and tidbits. I really appreciated the examples and stories the author shares- she’s very relatable and real. I listened to the audio and while I wish I had the book to highlight and mark it up, I enjoyed her voice. If you have struggling moms in your life, definitely share this book with them!

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the ALC.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! The Lord has guided Abbey's path in such a way that she is uniquely equipped to write this particular content for moms. All the hard work she's done in counseling but also her faithful involvement in women's bible study, the church, and friendships shine through with rich insight and wisdom for other moms; especially ones who are just starting down the road of understanding themselves so they can be a better parent. She is a transparent and authentic believer who demonstrates and walks us through what it looks like to fail, get up, believe the gospel, and keep moving forward.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abbey is an honest mom who wants to trust Jesus every day with her parenting choices. That much is evident when you open her book.

While I’m still waiting (patiently, I swear…) for my kid to wipe his own bottom, I am encouraged to find community in other moms that can speak truth into my hard days with wisdom and understanding.

[Holly Mackle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only one so settled in her identity in Christ could offer such a soul-baring view into her own mothering. Abbey’s kind, practical, and hopeful book does just that as it invites us all to more fully claim our gospel identity.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy and can’t stop talking about this book. It is gold! Anyone would grow and be blessed by this book but especially parents. Within its pages you’ll find so many practical helps as well as a rich theology of our identity in Christ and the process of sanctification.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

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