How do you instill godly virtues in kids who live in a "me-first" world? Encouraging you to model positive behavior for your kids, Korie Robertson identifies nine specific traits and provides biblical insights to help you train up your children in the way they should go.
As stars of the hit reality show "Duck Dynasty", Korie and Willie Robertson receive thousands of letters and messages from fans asking how they raised such good kids. According to Korie, it wasn’t easy. When Korie and Willie discussed the character traits they most wanted to pass on to their children, both agreed they wanted them to be strong to endure in this world and to be kindhearted people.
A straightforward approach to parenting, Strong and Kind helps parents identify the characteristics they want to see in their children and provides them with the tools for putting them in place. Korie Robertson identifies nine specific traits—strength, kindness, self-control, honesty, loyalty, humility, compassion, patience, and joy—that were the keys to her children’s upbringing. This practical guide to
Helps parents identify the character traits they want to see in their children, no matter what age they areGives parents the tools to imprint those traits in their children’s livesIncludes an 8-page color photo insert with Robertson family pictures Includes anecdotes from Korie’s husband, Duck Commander CEO Willie RobertsonAlthough there are no perfect parents or perfect children, Korie shares principles—based on biblical wisdom and time-tested practices—that will help you parent your own one-of-a-kind child.
Strong and Kind feels like friendly advice given over coffee, very unlike the parenting books which insist you follow their methods. The key is that, as Korie says, "raising children of good character requires thoughtful, consistent, intentional parenting", and this demonstrates real-life ways to do this. Purposeful parenting isn't a new concept, but I've not yet come across a book which so clearly illustrates how to raise children of good character and faith. It challenges parents to look beyond the current day, to focus on a goal and to work towards that goal.
I don't tend to watch reality TV so I had no idea this was written by the couple from Duck Dynasty; their philosophies and style were all new to me, but I was surprised at the depth I found. Most is from Korie, but Willie's viewpoint is both useful and interesting, and doesn't feel at all forced like some dual-perspective books. Understanding their different backgrounds brought new meaning to some of their insights and helped me see similar patterns in my life and marriage, as well as in our parenting expectations.
Korie explained why they chose "strong" and "kind" as the traits they most wanted their children to possess, not physical strength but the strength that comes from faith in God, emotional strength, resilience, courage and determination, and kindness that encompasses others, bringing compassion, gentleness and thoughtfulness.
After reading, thinking and praying I chose two traits of my own to focus upon, not the same, but for similar reasons. I'll be encouraging my husband to read this too, and I expect to reread it a few more times myself, because there was just too much to sink in at once. Highly recommended for Christian parents who want to raise thoughtful children who can stand on their own.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
About the Book: It's never been more important to teach your children well.
What America needs today are parents w ho don t just s ay they value these virtues but who live them and passionately and boldly teach them to their children. It s up to me and you and every parent in America to make the necessary changes to give our children the opportunity to change the world. We do that by instilling good character traits in them so that they will be capable of being the adults our world needs.
Korie Robertson
Many parents want to see positive character traits in their children but wonder how to instill them. As stars of the hit reality-TV show Duck Dynasty, Korie and Willie Robertson receive loads of letters and messages from fans asking how they ve raised such good kids. As they will tell you, it isn t always easy, but raising kids with good character is possible.
A straightforward, practical approach to parenting, Strong and Kind helps you identify the character traits you want to see in your children and gives you the tools for putting them in place. Besides strength and kindness other character
By modeling positive traits, with confidence, consistency, creativity, unity, and in truth and love, you can increase the chances of your kids catching on. At the end of the day, the Duck Dynasty stars say the most important thing you can do for your children is what they do at the end of every episode: hand them over to God in prayer.
My Review: In today's world it seems harder to raise children with good, strong morals. I know I have four of my own and parenting is by far more important in these times and we have to stay diligent. My children know that my husband and I will stay on them and stay in their business no matter what they are up to. Well the fans of the ever famous Duck Dynasty clan have spoken they want a tell all of sorts from the famous parents of the family on how to raise kids well. And the Duck Dynasty parents have responded. Korie Robertson, Willie Robertson's wife decide to share with the general public how they have raised "good" kids.
First things first, the author states that the most important decision that we can make as parents is one that could possibly change the course of our parenting style and course of our children's lives, overall. What are the values that you hold most important that you want to instill in your children? This is where it all begins, my friend. In that one little question you and your spouse decide right then and there to bring your children up differently and hopefully better to eventually become better adults and so on and so forth.
My favorite part of the book is when Korie talks about the vacations that her family had as a child. He father would talk about the Howard Family Legacy of Principles for Living. I thought, Wow! What a great idea! These principles are listed in the back of the book and I would have to say we raise our children on many of the same values. so you can take this from the book, it is just that simple. No fancy words or symbols, just simple values that you want to see instilled in your children and future grandchildren for generations.
This book will be available real soon! Be sure to pre-order yours today!
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Propeller/Flyby Promotions.
When I was reading this book I just kept thinking, this is just good ol' common sense parenting."Raising children of good character requires thoughtful, consistent, intentional parenting". Yep. No kidding. But then I looked around me and I realized that common sense, intentional, and faith-based parenting is on a steep decline. I am glad such practical and straight forward books about parenting exist and that Korie Robertson uses her public platform for good. Parenting is hard and raising children of good character and strong values, who love the Lord, and let their light shine is difficult in an ever darkening world. I love that books like these exist. I love that there are books out there that talk about praying with your children, reading the scriptures, instilling the gospel into their every day lives, and modeling the values that we want to instill in our children. I am glad that books like this are being written by intentional parents. So, even though it was nothing new and was definitely geared to parents of young children rather than teenagers, it was still a good thoughtful read and reminder.
My Review: Pretty good...definitely geared to parents of young children.
I LOVED this book. Just loved it! I was never a fan of Duck Dynasty when the Robertson family was on TV but I was drawn to this book because of the content Korie presented. I am deeply passionate about raising boys of good character so this book was exactly what I needed to hear to inspire me as I raise my houseful of boys. Strong, Kind, Honest, Integrity, Self Control, Joyfulness, Patience, and Humility are just some of the character qualities discussed in this wonderful book and I love that she always made reference to scripture to back up what she talked about. I would LOVE to just sit and have coffee with Korie one day!
I loved many of the points in this book. The reminder to stay intentional and work as a team. I also loved the conversation around teaching character traits to your child. The only reason I cannot give it a 5 is that I feel it misses the mark on acknowledging and responding to your child's emotions. "Temper tantrums" are encouraged to be stopped immediately, things taken away "cold turkey", etc. While I love the discussion and focus on intentional parenting, acknowledging, respecting and responding to our children's emotional side is important in protecting them against being "broken men" (as the author encouraged parents to be diligent against). Overall I'm glad I read it!
A fantastic parenting book, one of the best I’ve read. I chose the audio version which is read by the author. I never watched Duck Dynasty but discovered Korie on the 1,000 Hours Outside podcast and wanted to hear more from her perspective!
[Note: This book was provided free of charge from BookLook/Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.]
Without any particular intention of doing so, I have acquired a fair collection of Duck Dynasty related items, including two decks of playing cards, a choose your adventure book [1], and this parenting book. It is remarkably amusing for me to see the sophistication of a family whose regional origin marks them as a subject of good-natured jibes about eccentric and not particularly bright Southerners. Yet this book demonstrates not only considerably savvy, as well as more than a dollop of old fashioned traditions like family loyalty, self-discipline, and parental unity, but it is actually a solid parenting book from a woman who speaks honestly and openly about her own struggles to raise five kids, two of whom are adopted, under the harsh glare of a reality television culture that they appear, at least at present, to have managed very successfully and with their personal integrity intact, which is more than can be said for many of their contemporaries [2]. It is therefore in a spirit of encouragement that I read this book, despite not being a parent myself.
In terms of its contents, this book is bite-sized, with short chapters about the most important qualities that parents need to instill in their children, full of witty and humorous stories about the Robertson and Howard families and with pictures as well. The book's 24 chapters fit into three parts: the importance of good character, identifying the character traits one wants to see in one's children, and how to parent children of character. The first part emphasizes biblical advice as well as the need for parents to take responsibility and have a vision for the qualities they want their children to possess. The second part of the book focuses on qualities of importance: strength, kindness, self-control, honesty, compassion, patience, joy, loyalty, and humility. The third part gives straightforward but sometimes difficult to apply advice on how to inculcate children with these important qualities, such as: being confident, being consistent, being loving, being truthful, being real, being unified, being creative, being intentional, and applying and doing what what knows, even if one is imperfect and under a fair amount of stress. The book manages to blend telling details of a personal life that was not always glamorous or in the camera, with one humorous story of an incident with a police officer pulling over the author because he thought she was drunk when she was dealing with children throwing nerds around in the back of the car, with stories of how the family deals with the need to encourage very diverse children to develop their God-given gifts with the busy schedules of people deeply involved in wide-ranging businesses.
So, what will one find in reading this book? For one, one finds a well-written book that encourages biblical family-rearing, encourages openness and honesty and demonstrates it, and manages to work against the modish sort of parenting advice one often receives in contemporary reading. This book makes no apologies for its approaches, which may strike many as old fashioned, which some will appreciate and some will not. The book shows the family to be a loving one, committed to following God as they understand him, with imperfections and plenty of quirks but with a consistent approach that applies across all areas they are involved in. After the book is done there is a solid set of acknowledgements as well as a Howard Family Legacy of Principles for Living. This is a book that demonstrates that the Robertson family is not content to make money off of selling duck calls and related memorabilia, but that they have serious aims of helping to encourage positive cultural change and closer family ties. Here is hoping they are able to encourage many readers with this excellent book, and with whatever other books the family decides to write while they have the visibility to do so profitably.
I've never actually watched Duck Dynasty. My knowledge has been limited to the fact that they live in the Southern US, do something with hunting and ducks, and have a reality tv show.
I do, however, have kids and have an eye open for any book that may help me better raise my ever curious, creative, and somewhat mischievous boys.
Enter Strong and Kind.
Written by Korie Robertson with her mother Chrys and husband Willie's assistance, Strong and Kind explores the foundation upon which Korie and Willie have raised their own family.
Things I liked:
I appreciate the genuineness Korie presents in her writing. Her stories of raising her family are filled with stories filled with emotions that any parent can relate too. I loved the openness with which she shared her love and hope for her family and her own hard won lessons throughout her children's growing up years. (any DD fans out there? Is this openness common to the show?)
I also loved the simplicity of her concepts. Choose two traits. Listing off all the character traits we want to install in our children can become an overwhelming list that paralyzes. Korie's advice to pick two, almost as a thesis, and explaining some of the more overarching traits, makes it a much more achievable plan to begin.
Finally, I appreciated Korie's admittance that no tools are one size fits all for children. As a special needs mom it's so frustrating to read parenting books that claim all one needs to do is follow their advice and they will raise wonderful children, only lazy or inconsistent parents would fail. Korie's point that we can all have the same goal but may require different tools instantly soothed this Mama's heart and put the whole book into perspective for me. Korie is a generation above myself and at times I could feel that generational gap in her writing. We were on totally different wave lengths but, by the end of the chapter, I could see where our end goals had far more in common. Different tools same goal.
Things I didn't like:
There wasn't a lot of new information in this book, a fact Korie acknowledges.
Overall opinion, I enjoyed my introduction to the Duck Dynasty crew through Korie and Willie's stories. Their approach to parenting was strong in that it is simple to understand but requires hard work to reap the rewards and see through. For people who already have a full bookshelf when it comes to parenting advice this book would probably feel redundant and of little value. For parents looking to add a solid, easy to read book to their new or growing collection Kind and Strong is worth a second look.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Korie Robertson is the wife of Willie Robertson and they both star on the hit TV show Duck Dynasty. In Strong and Kind, Korie Robertson has written a brand new book about instilling positive characters traits into your children’s lives. She shared the powerful truth found in scriptures such as in Proverbs 3:1-2. This verse talks about the importance of keeping God’s teachings in our hearts and in our children’s hearts. God promises to give us long life and peace and prosperity if we follow his commands. Korie suggests parents choose two key critical character traits that they want their children to follow in their lives. Some of these traits include, “honest, loving, kind, loyal, persistent, encouraging, trustworthy”, and much more. Each chapter also includes some thoughts from Willie Robertson.
One of my favorite chapters was entitled, “Self-Controlled”. This chapter discussed how vital it is to manage your self-control and how we can also be an example of this trait in front of our children. Korie shared how putting into place boundaries and greatly benefit our children. She explored how Adam and Eve struggled with God’s boundaries and not eating the forbidding fruit. They didn’t display self-control against temptation and ate the food and they sinned. This is why as parents we must teach our children self-control against all the temptations they may encounter. I have personally seen the benefits of setting boundaries in place and displaying self-control.
I would recommend this awesome book to every single parent and future parent. I have always enjoyed watching Duck Dynasty and I strongly believe Willie and Korie live what they preach. I liked how Korie covered many different character traits throughout the book and she devoted a chapter to each trait. I liked how she gave parents the freedom to discuss the different traits they want to pass down to their kids. I’m not a parent yet or even married but I choose to read and review this book in order to already begin to prepare for having children. After reading this book, I would choose strong and self-control as the traits I would want my children to live by. Obviously these two traits could change because this is a book I will eventually reread with my future wife, whoever she is. If you’re seeking an excellent book on parenting, then read this book!
"I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program."
My wife is a second grade school teacher, and I am a youth pastor. We are around young people often. One of the things that often is noticed, is the type of homes our students come from. Some come from loving homes with a mom and dad, or maybe a loving home with grandparents, or with one parent. Then there are some who come from homes where the parents are so busy with their lives, that the kids are pushed on the back burner. Or they have one parent who can barely pay bills, and as a result is hardly ever home.
The reality is, that we live in a society where family values are being attacked. One thing I have always found to be crucial for kids, is a purpose and a focused direction to go. (For some this is getting good grades, or sports, then college, marriage, etc.) As Christians, it is crucial that we show our kids how to be functioning members of society, yet still have values and to live out those values daily.
If you read my blog, it’s no surprise that I enjoy watching, and reading from those in Duck Dynasty. The reality is, that they are direct with their kids. Who hasn’t seen that episode of Duck Dynasty where Phil takes his grandson and his girlfriend out and shows them how to court each other?
This family is all about loving God, and loving others. In Strong and Kind we are introduced to real-life ways to teach our kids values. I can’t express how important family values are in the lives of kids. As someone who is with them often, I can tell those who have been taught values, and how to live them out, and those who haven’t.
This is a great book to help show us how to direct our kids in a way that not only helps them to have strong values, but to live them out, and to honor God with their lives.
I got this book for free for this honest review from HarperCollins Book Reviews.
Where there are mamas there are usually children. Where there is a good Godly example, there are usually children growing up learning to show that Godly example to others.
This is where Korie Robertson comes into the discussion. Realizing early on that her faith (and her husband Willie’s faith) was going to be so important to their future children, they talked about specific words and how teaching those words would benefit their children. Korie chose Strong and Kind as the words that were of the utmost importance for teaching their children. But not only teaching these words to their (and ultimately our) children but that Korie and Willie must LIVE out these words as well.
Korie talks about the value of being a living example for our children. Not just the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality.
This was a thoroughly encouraging book for any parent, Christian or otherwise, that sees the benefit in teaching morals and values to their children.
I recommend this book and hope that you will find the time to read it. Not only is it full of wonderful advice it is also full of family stories. If you enjoy the Robertson family (as I do) then you will get a kick out of the stories that are woven through out the book. The Robertson family is one that continues to show the love of Jesus in every aspect of their lives, I enjoy them and hope you like this book too.
* I was given a fee copy of this book from FlyBy Promotions in exchange for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was given. *
I really enjoyed this book. Korie is straightforward, honest, and gives tons of examples of how the principals she shares have played out in her own life. As she states at the end of the book, it doesn't contain any ground-breaking never-before-heard tips on parenting, but it does contain a wealth of advice and encouragement to help you focus more on the Principals you are trying to teach, rather than on the Practices for teaching them. Too often we get caught up in the latest fad parenting techniques and forget that the real goal of raising good kids is for them to become great adults. Korie helps you "begin with the end in mind" by looking towards the character traits you want your kids to display when they are adults, and then working backwards to devise a plan to develop those character traits today. And through it all, she consistently reminds you that no matter what you Say, your kids will follow your Example - so you have to live out those character qualities in your own life First! Highly recommended.
Favorite Quote: "What do you want to see in your children? At the end of this book I'm going to ask you to choose any two traits, but this isn't a test. God has given us a wide pasture in which to graze and live as His children. We are free in Him, and you are free to choose which traits you want for your children. After choosing is where the hard part comes in, however. Once you determine the traits that are important to you family, then you have to LIVE LIKE IT!"
I loved this book! Very helpful for preparing the family as to what's important values to have in your family. My own number one personal value is my children and now grand children know the Lord. I had the pleasure of leading my oldest granddaughter 12 to the Lord this summer. We all as parent s should be concerned what traits our children will carry on with. We nee to instill great traits so they are capable of being adults in this future of this world. Korie goes through the different traits in the book Strong and Kind. A few of the traits she goes through are:
I believe all these are very important traits. Teaching them these in love and also by living them yourself. I found this book a very encouraging book. I would take a couple traits at a time and work on them. Other traits will fall in when doing others. Living a life with these traits and most of all with Christ and prayer. Korie has written a great help book and what works for them. It is a good guide what we as parents and grandparents can do. Thank you Flyby Productions for the opportunity to review this book and to leave my own honest opinion.
I am always so excited when I see another Robertson book has been published! And of course I am delighted that I get to read and review it before it even comes out in book stores! When I saw Strong and Kind available to review, I grabbed it up immediately! I began reading it one evening and nearly finished it in one sitting- it was that good! Of course, I hope to reread it more slowly and thoughtfully, but initially I love to just devour good books. I was still able to glean so much from the chapters of this book. And me not even a parent! The lessons I learned were wonderful for me as an older sibling as well as me as a person. Seriously- many of the thoughts and wisdom in this book were enough to make me chide myself for my disrespect and unloving attitudes towards my elders and friends! So, my conclusion is that whether you are a parent or not, this book will definitely help you! For parents, I highly, highly recommend this book. The authors are both firm and kind in their advice. They understand parenthood and they understand children and love them for who they are. But they also know from experience how to raise children to become mature, responsible adults and therefore parents should trust the Biblical advice they present in this new book! I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I began reading this book. What a wonderfully written and lovely book to read. Korie takes us through the different character qualities or traits that your child needs to succeed. She suggests starting with the two that are most important to you. Strong and Kind are the two she feels are most important for her children.
She had lots of insightful advice for parenting and shared stories of her own childhood and parenting experiences to go along with the qualities. She takes the reader through each of the qualities and how they apply to us then she details how you can start implementing them in our own lives and teaching them to our children. Along the way, Willie tells his point of view of the character qualities as well as stories from his children and parenting experiences.
In conclusion, it was a wonderful read and I really enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend reading this for any parent, especially if you are a Duck Dynasty fan but not only if you are a fan. Korie is quite personable and real towards her own experiences and journey as a parent. If you're a parent or soon to be, go get this book!
I was given a free copy of Strong and Kind in exchange for my honest review.
This was a really neat parenting book. Korie didn’t say, do this or don’t do that. She talked about different traits and how we impart them to our children. How we should look at who we want our kids to become, and then model that in our own lives. That basis alone makes this one of the best parenting books ever. If you know who Korie Robertson is and if you have ever seen her show, you will love this book. I personally haven't, so parts of the book probably didn't mean as much to me as it would to faithful fans.
I will add that Korie seems to have a very bold personality. She is very firm in her beliefs and a few statements she made rubbed me the wrong way. They were firmly worded opinions, one I agreed with but still was taken aback by the wording she used. Another I could see her point, but felt she worded it very harshly. We all have opinions we feel strongly about, I just found it ironic that in a book about kindness, she didn’t choose to word her thoughts with kindness.
The other down side to this book was that the pages seemed super thin. If you are like me and love to highlight, I recommend using a gel highlighter (that’s what I did). And I did highlight a BUNCH.
What America needs today are parents who don’t just say they value these virtues but who live them and passionately and boldly teach them to their children. It’s up to me and you and every parent in America to make the necessary changes to give our children the opportunity to change the world. We do that by instilling good character traits in them so that they will be capable of being the adults our world needs. —Korie Robertson
With each book I read by one of the Robertsons, I am more impressed — and more blessed. Although the reality TV show is meant to entertain, to a certain degree, this family means business when it comes to faith and family.
As Korie so eloquently puts it, the key to teaching children well is “raising children of good character requires thoughtful, consistent, intentional parenting”. Strong and Kind demonstrates real-life ways to do this.
You won’t want to miss this awesome book.
Get your copy today! Read it — and apply it — to your own life.
An Excellent Values-Based Parenting Book with Experience to Make Worth Reading
Go to any bookstore or library and there are shelves of parenting how-to books. STRONG AND KIND is distinct from these other books. While there are many skills you want to teach children, the undergird is character. The first portion of this book gives the reasons good character is important. The second portion emphasizes nine key character traits and encourages readers to pick two of them to concentrate on with their children. The final portion of the book turns to the parent and encourages parents with nine keys in this process.
The stories are practical yet mixed with solid experience. Korie Robertson is well-known because of the reality show, Duck Dynasty. Her mother, Chrys Howard wrote this book and the final portion of every chapter includes writing from Willie Robertson, Korie’s husband, who is the Duck Commander. The storytelling and the writing in this book is excellent. This title is one of the best parenting books that I’ve read.
In her book, Korie gives parents a practical guide to raising children with godly characteristics. She explains why character is important, then goes through and discusses several character traits in depth, complete with family anecdotes and examples. The last section of the book is a guide for parents and how WE should be living in order to set the example we want to for our kids. She explains that for our kids to have each characteristic that we want to see in them not only takes us living it our as an example, but also a strong faith in God. In the last chapter, Korie has parents pick the top two characteristics they want to see in their kids and develop an action plan for training up their kids to have those character traits. This was a really helpful, encouraging read and I highly recommend it to parents and soon-to-be parents.
What would be the two values I would want our kids to have? (Hard question but probably Loving and Responsible) Reads like a conversation with a good experienced mama friend.
I liked that each section was short and a nice explanation that usually included a family story. Willie also added a short piece to each. Because it is a topic you want to think on, it isn't really a book you want to speed through.
#26BOOKSWITHBRINGINGUPBURNS: Book that will help you grow.
I'm an avid fan of the Robertson family, and typically enjoy every book they produce. This one, however, just didn't do it for me. While the concept of applying characteristics to your children is great, I felt most of this book read like a text book or a research paper. Just wasn't for me. *I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
202 pages and it took me over 6 months to read. Yes, values are important to instill in your children. However, this book contains very little applicable advice. I believe the actual advise was pages 193-195.
I expected this book to be a cheesy parenting book that slapped the Duck Dynasty logo on it to help make sales - I was wrong. It gave me a lot of goals, thoughts, and ideas for how I want to parent my future children. I very much enjoyed it and would recommend to any new or current parent.
While not a certified expert, Korie Robertson doesn’t claim to be. She’s just a mom. I was attracted to this book at the library not for her Duck Dynasty name but for the cover words. Strong and Kind and other important character traits. I appreciated her wisdom in raising kids that know, love, and follow God. Everyone always says there’s no manual for parenting, and I’ve believed that up to today. It’s just not true. The only book you need is the Bible, and then we all do the best we can after that. It took another book to help me realize it, but I’ll be moving forward with a different perspective.