Parenting Toward the Kingdom: Orthodox Principles of Child-Rearing

by Philip Mamalakis

The Orthodox Christian tradition is filled with wisdom and guidance about the biblical path of salvation. Yet this guidance remains largely inaccessible to parents and often disconnected from the parenting challenges we face in our homes. Parenting Toward the Kingdom will help you make the connections between the spiritual life as we understand it in the Orthodox Church and the ongoing challenges of raising children. It takes the best child development research and connects it with the timeless truths of our Christian faith to offer you real strategies for navigating the challenges of daily life.

Genres: Parenting, Christian, Nonfiction, Family, Religion, Theology, Spirituality

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2016

Reviews

[Elizabeth White · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last, an Orthodox book on parenting that is based on sound child-rearing principles and avoids some of the flaws I've seen in other parenting advice. For example, I have issues with much of the famous Dr. Dobson's advice. Whereas he would have you crush the will of the child in order to achieve obedience, Dr. Mamalakis points out the damage that crushing the will of the child will cause. Our goal rather, is to "have our children internalize a spirit, a disposition, of obedience to God and his commandments." We cannot do this, he says, by disrespecting children (by crushing their wills). They need their wills to be strong as adults and make good decisions.

I love his advice on how to respond rather than react to a child's misbehavior. As a parent and a Montessori teacher I have reacted so many times. I can confirm that it doesn't work. Learning how to respond has helped diffuse many episodes of undesirable behavior.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this for the third time and stand by what I said before (see original review below). I will return to Parenting Toward the Kingdom again and again, I'm sure.

My original review:

This book should be required reading for every parent. There is so much wisdom here and so much encouragement. I have made many mistakes in this parenting journey so far, but this book not only gives strategies and tips to help correct those mistakes; it also reminds us that the way we deal with those mistakes is just as, if not more, important as learning the right thing to do. Repentance and forgiveness are powerful and beautiful and because none of us is perfect they are perhaps some of the most important things we will ever learn to do. Learning how to treat our children as persons, made in the image of God is a difficult thing to do in a world that typically undervalues children. This book can help anyone who wants to give feet to the principle that 'children are born persons'. If you never read another parenting book, please at least read this one.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good parenting book for any Christian parent, although those of us who aren't Orthodox will have to do some "translating". ;) I found his thoughts on responding instead of reacting and respecting children and their feelings especially convicting. I wish I could have read this as a young mom - it would have given me an alternative to the cycle of reacting and seeking to control with consequences that I fell into. My husband is going to read it, and I will pass it along to my daughter and her future husband (who is Orthodox!) when, Lord willing, they are blessed with children. :)

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my complete review of this excellent book on my blog here: https://beingincommunity.com/parentin...

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous. I recognize that I was in “fight or flight” in my parenting, if you will, and almost always reacting rather than responding. There are so many principles in the book that I’ve written down and am implementing in my day to day. The last two chapters on repentance and prayer are especially impactful. I will definitely return to the book again in the future.

This book also provides a stark, but beautiful example of the orthodox mindset of struggling towards our salvation, versus the Protestant mindset of God being a judge with a gavel, which is demonstrated in many Christian parenting books that give the advice of essentially crushing the child’s spirit in order to get them to obey. We have the long term goal in mind, that we are all struggling towards God, but with repentance, kindness, long suffering, and prayer, we just might guide our children into a beautiful future in the Body of Christ.

[Frances Eaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very similar to Boundaries with Kids, possibly a bit more practical.

[Kelsey Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent parenting book for anyone, even if you’re not Orthodox Christian. For each point he raises, Dr Mamalakis uses examples from his own experience raising 7 kids (most of whom are still at home). He references many other authorities on parenting and living a Christian life, including books popular now that outline the importance of positive connection with children (attachment theory) and the importance of building character and resilience for future success. The best thing about this book is that it is as much (or mostly) about the parent’s role in the parent-child relationship as it is advice on how/when to connect or discipline (the latter word was not used even once!). Highly recommended for parents as soon as kids are about 1.5-2 years old.

[Susan Zacharia-Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully weaves together theology and child psychology while making the text accessible for the layman. He repeats concepts several times throughout the book which is the reason for the 4 star, though this may have been done to consistently remind the reader of the end goal in Christian parenting. His use of personal experiences with his 5 kids was helpful. I especially appreciate his switching pronouns between “he” and “she” when broadly describing concepts - seemed intentional. I would have given this a 4.5 if half points were an option :)

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I expected. I’m not one to read parenting books (though prob should be). Very realistic approach, nothing weird, and some good ideas that I can incorporate. Also always useful to create stronger links between my parenting with my faith - who can adequately parent without His help? The only thing I would say is that it is not a book that lends itself to being read straight through as it can get repetitive. That repetition however is probably good reinforcement when read over a longer period of time.

[Dinamthomp · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Parenting Toward the Kingdom” by Dr. Phillip Mamalakis, is a combination parenting book, self-reflection prompt, and spiritual guidebook for the Orthodox Christian parent seeking to guide their children into the life of the Church in ways that help children to develop into whole persons. Dr. Mamalakis takes us on a journey of how to raise our children intentionally by learning the art of responding vs. reacting, by parenting toward our long-term vs. our short-term goals, and by respecting our children and venerating them as we do the saints.

This book is important because it gives a parent vital support in how to accomplish these high standards, while also providing reminders to fall back on repentance when we lose our way, and the importance repentance plays in Christian parenting.

This book worked for me personally because it spoke to me as a child development major and an avid lover of self-examination and a desire for constant growth. The author provides ample methods that work together to help children to see the bigger picture of the challenges they are facing, as well as emphasizing the importance of struggle, while not leaving them alone in their challenges. He also highlights how parenting will change as your child grows. Also, a parent reading this book will be brought face to face with their own shortcomings and given ample opportunities to examine the reason behind their reactions to their children. The benefit of this book is that Dr. Mamalakis doesn’t leave us in that seemingly depressing and discouraging place, but instead helps to guide us into the life of a Christian parent and pushes us on toward salvation.

I would recommend this book for parents, god parents, and anyone in a caregiving role with young children. I have found it to be extremely beneficial and edifying, and believe it to be a whole and complete, well rounded work. I highly recommend this book!

(This book was given in exchange for an honest review)

[Haley Lavenderfields · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent, intelligent, thoughtful and heartfelt book. How wonderful to have this resource in my home. I will be referencing this book a lot and feel like I want to reread parts of it already. The amount of relatable content to the struggles of caring for and raising children is really encouraging and helpful. I especially love how Dr. Mamalakis is so very down to earth. This is written by someone who has truly been in the thick of it, and is giving you ways to help. The layout of the book really makes sense. It’s broken down into categories in sequence that lead you to better understand your children and to remember what our goals are as (Orthodox Christian) parents. Would highly recommend this book to all Orthodox parents (and will be!) and I believe any Christian would walk away with a lot of respect and appreciation for what is written here and beneficial information.

[Lainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great parenting book. Sometimes things got pretty repetitive, but I also think for such a practical book, repetition maybe was needed.

Although I didn't fully agree with some methods, I learned a lot and was humbled to realize that I don't have it all together sometimes and that I can and should change my mind on some parenting issues. This book deals thoroughly with the emotional health of the parent and child, and that was helpful for me as someone whose childhood was emotionally oppressed. It's something I've seen myself replay in my own parenting and I appreciate the call to change that.

I would recommend this book to anyone. Definitely the best parenting book on emotional maturity I've read. And its practicality made it very specific and not vague. I will revisit in the future when I have older kids.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Kids' desires are not problems to be solved, but part of their humanity that needs to be transformed in a relationship of love. They cannot control their feelings and desires. They don't have to like going to bed or picking up their toys; they just need to learn how to do it, and we support them in this process by attending to their desires. An effective response attends to their desires as they learn to do what needs to be done.”

[T.]

Slowly reading this one. It's still so helpful and wise—and fun to read alongside CM.

[Seraphim Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard it's a controversial book but I thought it was good. I could see how the authors ideas could be taken the wrong way.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best parenting book I’ve ever encountered. I wish I could put a copy in the hands of every parent I know.

[Ali M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after Dr. Mamalakis came to our church to speak. He spent his time with the teenagers, but our priest (who I respect and admire greatly) spoke so highly of him that I ordered his book. Just as Stephen Covey suggests in his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr. Mamalakis exhorts Orthodox Christian parents to consider the goal of parenthood, or as Covey says “begin with the end in mind.” Most parents, me included, have a list of goals for our children that include raising functioning members of society who are happily married and then have children of their own. Mamalakis takes a much more macro approach and reminds us that as Orthodox parents our goal is to see our children united with God by internalizing and living the values and virtues of the Kingdom of God. Wow! That seems like a pretty lofty goal right? But it actually simplifies everything and gives us a road map to meet those earthly goals we have for our children.

Now that I have been at this parenting game for a few years I really appreciated the long view of Dr. Mamalakis’s approach. So many of the books out there are focused on specific ages or phases of our kids, and while Dr. Mamalakis acknowledges those different stages he prepares us for the fact parenthood is a long-range proposition. This is a marathon not a sprint, so beware undercutting your long-term goal for short –term success, satisfaction or relief.

A lot of the advice that is given in this book I have seen in other parenting books and articles, such as set limits, give five minute warnings and the like. What was different about Dr. Mamalakis’s approach was the willingness to be flexible and the fact that it was okay to not know or to let your kids see you fail. I love that he says if you cannot think of a consequence maybe you shouldn’t be giving one. I loved his reminder to give children more responsibility especially. This is probably the biggest thing we have taken from the book. Our most challenging child in terms of behavior has long been a conundrum. But after reading the section titled “Confessions of a Difficult Child,” it became obvious to us looking back that our “difficult” boy does so much better when we give him extra responsibility and extra important tasks. He wants to be a helper. We may have eventually come to that conclusion on our own but we may not have too! We are ever so grateful for having this path pointed out to us.

Two more important things I learned were: 1) having your child ask for forgiveness for transgressions, especially from siblings, can be a very powerful thing, and 2) all the parenting books and techniques in the world are no substitute for loving your children through it all. Giving them the gift of the Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest act of love. Guiding them there is a privilege that we should not underrate or forget.

[Kristen Nickels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible (highly recommend!) and will be listening again and again. I cannot overstate the helpfulness of this book. The insight it provides is exactly what so many other similar books are lacking, e.g. a look at the “forest” along with the “trees”. I am not Orthodox but am familiar enough with saints, sacraments, veneration, etc. that it was no issue for me, and I absolutely recommend this book to any parent, regardless of Christian denomination. I am so grateful to have finally picked it up after first seeing it recommended a few years ago. The one caution I will share is regarding the author’s use of food/eating scenarios and approaches to address them. As a dietitian who specializes in relationship with food, I will not and do not recommend following food-related advice exactly as presented here. Of course, this author is in good company in using such examples, and I will say that I did not find his approaches to be overly problematic (which is impressive, really, given the widespread use of terrible food examples in self-help books) but I did get tired of them and wish for other non-food examples. Overall, I still give it five stars and wouldn’t recommend to avoid it just because of the food talk, unless you know that’s what’s best for you.

[Kade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, and a lot to like. However, based on the subtitle, I thought there would be more discussion of teachings of the Fathers/Saints on the topic. There were definitely quotations, but not much further discussion of the quotations or how they applied to the techniques advocated. In fact, some of the quotations seemed only tangentially related to the techniques he was advocating in the chapters they were cited in. The Audible recording read by the author was well enunciated, but the author's reading speed made me speed up the recording to 1.25x because it was painful to listen to at 1x speed. I don't know if he always speaks that slowly, but it was hard to listen to until I sped it up a bit.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book with lots of references to other helpful resources, both sacred and secular. My only quibble is that it could be reduced in length by 1/3 to 1/2 by rearranging chapters and removing a lot of repetition and excessive wordiness.

[jayrt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The take-away message from this book is:

To your children, be firm and consistent in your Christ-like love.

Disclaimer: I am neither a parent nor a practicing Christian.

So why did I read this book? It was recommended by Fr. Andrew Damick on the podcast “The Areopagus,” so I knew I had to give it a shot.

Although Philip Mamalakis’ explanation of the Orthodox upbringing employed terms that didn’t resonate with me—e.g. the Kingdom of God, venerate, obedience, and repentance—they were explained in such a way that I could feel the impact and see the value. Let me quickly go over those terms:

Kingdom of God: Emphasizes the long-view of parenting. We don’t ease their pains or inflict punishments as a remedy for the moment. We encourage a productive struggle so that our children can internalize the right path[1] thru life and its consequences in becoming productive members of society.

[1] Right path is an allusion to the Buddhist’s Eight Divisions.

Venerate: Used as a reminder that our children are people first; not good and bad behaviors. We are challenged to love them unconditionally. We should not only empathize with their struggles, but name them, too; not lecture them like sponges, but model the right path. Remember, they’re human first.

Obedience: It’s not blind compliance, rather, it’s a disposition that emerges from firm and consistent parenting. When a child knows your expectations, limits, resolve, and most importantly, your love for them, they’ll be more willing to engage in the obedient behavior Mamalakis highlights. There is an element of trust not often paired with colloquial obedience.

Repentance: You’re not going to be a perfect parent. You are going to make mistakes. How you respond to your mistakes is important. Set up the habit of asking for and giving out forgiveness. It reminds us parenting isn’t an algorithm and further girdles the modeling positive aspects we wish our children to mimic.

The book is repetitious, but I didn’t mind. I found the principles practical and naturally aligning with my personality: understand first, respond measuredly after. If you’re reading this review, you’re already on the fence, take the leap, it’s a powerful read.

[Kristina Mrdja · Rating 5 out of 5]

After hearing Philip on a podcast and hearing how much ease he had in answering questions with wisdom, insight, positivity and lack of judgement, I hopped over to Amazon and ordered this book right away.

It exceeded my expectations and I recommend it to all Christians and parents! He provides advice based on the teachings of the scriptures as well as the social science of developing children and how they learn. One of my favorite points that he makes in the podcast episode with Elissa Bjeletich is because God has created children to learn in a certain way, it is up to us to parent in such a way that respects His design and the child's learning process. This book 1000% reflects this thought.

Most parents, including myself, have at one point or another completely lost patience with our children. This book does a great job of reminding us why we must be patient and how to respond in tough moments. I loved that throughout the book, he shares verses from the bible, teachings from the saints, as well as his own examples of his failures and triumphs as he raises his seven children. The examples given were very thorough and added a lot to the advice given. The only flaw that I can find with this book is that at times the writing can be repetitive, but since the content is so important and good, I still give it 5 stars.

If you haven't read it...buy it, read it, take notes, and keep it on your shelf to have quick access to it throughout the years of parenting because I know I'll definitely be flipping through it again and again.

Btw in the podcast he mentioned maybe writing a book for grandparents and I really hope he actually writes and publishes it before I become one lol

[Alex of Yoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a parenting must-read, especially if you're a Christian, double especially if you're an Orthodox Christian. The author combines child development and psychology with the beliefs and practices of the Christian Church (Eastern Orthodox, specifically) and with his own personal experience as a father. It's gentle, practical, honest, and straightforward. I feel both convicted and encouraged as a parent after reading this. I think every parent should read this book as it includes principles universal to parenting regardless of your religious beliefs (however a non-Christian reader will find it full of Christian quotes and sentiments, so be warned if that's not your cup of tea). A Christian non-Orthodox may find the very specific Orthodox examples a little foreign, but I don't think that should hinder any Christian parent from reading this book as there's enough similarities for it to still make sense and be helpful. Overall I found it very clear, empowering, instructive, and, as a new parent, it has set my mind at ease as far as how to view and prepare for the parenting struggles ahead. If you're a parent ad desperate for some good, ethical parenting advice (backed by research and experience!), run, don't walk, to get this book.

[DúviAurvandil Ericsson e Pereira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote the below review as part of a work requirement to read a certain number of books and comment on them.

Parenting Toward the Kingdom and Reviewing a Book Toward the Mission
I have two children, ages 4 and 2, and there is nothing more that I want than for them to grow up to be good, kind, strong, Christian men. I have been listening to an audiobook to that end and have been struck by some of the parallels it has to being a good Surveyor and supporting the ABS mission.
The basic premise of Parenting Toward the Kingdom (Dr Phillip Mamalakis, 2016) is that of keeping the long-term goal of parenting in mind. This book was specifically written for Orthodox Christians, but still broadly applies to all Christian parenting and parenting in general. Parents want their children to be responsible, kind, understanding of others, diligent, able to delay gratification, and have strong personal convictions to do good. These traits could be said to be the Mission Statement of parenting and everything we do as parents should be supporting the Mission Statement.
Keeping the Mission in mind instead of focusing on “stopping bad behavior” was a new mindset for me regarding parenting. Instead of focusing on getting my children to stop grabbing, I broaden my perspective to focus on helping them to be attentive to the needs of others and to cultivate a sharing heart.
As ABS Surveyors, the ABS Mission is of prime importance. “The mission of ABS is to serve the public interest as well as the needs of our members and clients by promoting the security of life and property and preserving the natural environment.” Everything that we do, every item we inspect, and every report we write are done to support the Mission. Keeping that in mind helps to broaden a Surveyor’s perspective and focus on what is important.
Another concept taught in the book is that “my struggle is not my child’s struggle”, and what that means is this – I must struggle to be kind and controlled no matter what behavior my child exhibits. My child will have struggles to exhibit the behaviors expected of him, but he does not need to struggle with what I personally have to struggle with. It is not my child’s fault that his behavior is particularly annoying to me and makes me angry, that is my struggle. Not only should the child focus his attention and concern on behaving appropriately instead of his parent’s struggle, but a child seeing his parent personally struggle to remain calm, to speak with kindness even when tired, to do the right thing even when it’s hard, will inspire him to see it is appropriate, possible, and right to do so himself.
Likewise, it’s often easy to get frustrated with clients for various reasons. The checkpoint is not ready, we found clear areas of concern that haven’t been dealt with, or something broke and they did not inform us – it’s easy to want to yell or change our demeanor toward them because of their actions. Instead of wasting our energy on the past which cannot change, we should instead focus on what our job is – communicate professionally the ABS Rules, document compliance (or not), and evaluate if the vessel is recommended to stay in Class and if the SMS is being followed.
Our struggle – expectations not being met, more work than we expected on this vessel, scheduling difficulties/conflicts – are not the struggles of the client – compliance with statutes/Rules, but also personnel/crewing, budget, voyage schedule, etc. We should focus on professionally transmitting the Rules instead of getting upset that they weren’t followed in the past.
Another area of overlap between parenting and surveying is that of clearly communicating expectations. There is a lot of leeway in how extensive a survey needs to be to determine the condition of compliance with the requirements juts as there is a lot of leeway for what how a parent expects a child to act and behave. As we gain more experience Surveying, we begin to pick up on and collect information about likely areas of concern, common failures, and issues with sister vessels. A parent quickly becomes well-informed (if he pays attention) on what behaviors his child is likely to exhibit in many situations. We should look forward a little to these scenarios and set up our attendances and our children for success. If we have a specific number of fire stations we want to test, we should inform the client with as much lead time as we can; if we intend on grounding the child if he fails to clean up his toys, we should tell him that we sense he does not want to clean up before going out to play.
In this way, there is no questions what the expectations are, and it’s much more likely that they will be met then if no heads-up were given. This also supports the previous point, as clear expectations with clear consequences are much easier to stay calm about than unspoken ones.
The last way in which I found this book helpful toward Surveying was in that of having empathy for the child / client. This is not an area of as direct a parallel as the others, but it is clear why. A Surveyor’s relationship with a Client is a professional one, while the relationship between a parent and child is a familial one. We should have compassion and empathy with our children so that they always feel loved, feel safe with us, and know they can come to us for help. Clients should feel open to communicating with us because we have their interests in mind. They want their crews safe, to protect the environment, and to maintain the certificates just like we do (remember the Mission!), so we should do what we can to help them when it’s difficult to comply, or when a Rule is unclear, or when external circumstances make prioritization difficult. A client is much more likely to be open about the condition of his vessel when he trusts that ABS will help him and his business. The best relationship between ABS and its clients is one of trust and we can say the same thing about parenting.
Parenting Toward the Kingdom helps keep in mind the ABS Mission, maintaining professionalism, communicating expectations, and gaining a trusting client relationship and in this way was a great benefit to my Surveyor career.

[hayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first ever parenting book I have ever read. And no, I don't currently have children, but I'm trying to prepare myself while we play the waiting game and I must say that overall I did enjoy this book. It wasn't an easy ready for me, it probably took me about a month to finish it and at times I struggled with the chapters. I think though that I struggled because I typically tend to read fiction, thriller, young adult novels and so this way so different from my standard read. The concepts he presents in the book are straightforward and easy to grasp. I felt like there was a good bit of repetition with some of the concepts and so for some that may make this more boring, but I think that's how we learn and it's how our children will learn from us. The book is well written so that I think everyone can walk away from it with something. I'm happy that I read this in its entirety once and it's a book that I know I will be picking up again and reading the specific chapters that I need in the moment. We are Orthodox Christians my husband and I, but I think this is a book that anyone of any faith, or of no faith, could find useful because the concepts presented are based in fact.

[Toomas Nigola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aitäh Püha Johannese Kooli Sihtasutusele selle raamatu maakeeles väljaandmise eest. Mulle kohe täitsa meeldis.

Eriti meeldis see, et autor on täitsa minumoodi mees: "Mil tahes loen või kuulen räägitavat laste kasvatamisest, muutun teadlikuks kõigist neist asjadest, mida ma valesti teen. Mõnikord tundub, et toimin täpselt vastupidi sellele, mida ma peaksin tegema. Seda juhtub pidevalt ja mõnikord pean kasvatusteemalist loengut mina ise! … Ainult pühak võiks last kasvatada niimoodi, nagu ma siin raamatus kirjeldanud olen. Ainult pühak võib olla kannatlik, alati suhestuda ja mitte kunagi reageerida, teada alati parimat viisi sekkumiseks ja taluda pidevaid katsumusi, mis laste kasvatamisega kaasnevad. Ei ole mitte ainult raske lapsi kasvatada, vaid on ka võimatu olla täiuslik lapsevanem. Õnneks ei ole see meie eesmärk ega isegi mitte see, mida meie lapsed vajavad. Samamoodi nagu me ei peaks ootama oma lastelt täiuslikkust, vaid õppimist ja kasvamist, ei tohiks me oodata täiuslikkust ka endalt. Peaksime endalt ootama õppimist ja kasvamist. Vead on õppimise osa.” (lk 304-305).

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished, 4.5 stars! I had to put down this book from time to time because it was a good reflection of myself…and I didn’t always like what I saw. Parenting is truly a way to root out all of one’s not-so-great qualities. However, like a good father, the author was able to really repeat the important aspects of parenting so that the reader can’t miss what he’s saying. The content of the book was mostly logical and common sense, and it definitely has a “gentle parenting” bent. I was already aware of many of these parenting strategies mentioned in the book (but clearly not doing them well, thus the need for repetition), but I loved how he connected these to the Orthodox Christian faith. For me, this was the most important aspect of the book. It helped me see that there’s more to parenting than just getting it right, because when we don’t, there’s a Church for that, and we can integrate our faith hand-in-hand with our journey toward the Kingdom. This would be a good read for non-Orthodox Christians as well.

[Austin Gannett · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars (rounded up)

Great book - practical, challenging, encouraging, and rooted in biblical/gospel wisdom. Written by a follower of Jesus with the PhD in child development and family studies - the best of both worlds combine in this very helpful book. Viewing children as learners - when it comes to the values and virtues of the kingdom is an extremely helpful paradigm.

Minor differences: though not Orthodox (I am Protestant), I would view one or two minor things differently or phrase things differently where our traditions part ways. For example, where Mamalakis talks about “icons of Christ,” I would say “image of God”. And later in the section on repentance there are practices and traditions in the Orthodox Church that don’t translate to my own church experience. BUT, again these are ultimately minor. - hence the reason I rounded up.

Loved the final section on the joy of repentance!

Take. Read. Learn. Grow.

[Rachel Vandenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book to read (listen to). The author shares many insights from his own life as a parent and repeats his ideal strategies in many forms and stories.
He does come at it from a Christian Orthodox perspective- which can maybe deter some,since he shares some specific orthodox practices in this book. But- I would say just listen through it and appreciate the major points.
Some to point out were: as parents, make sure you know your end goals for your children. Respond to your children- don’t react. And, name your childs’ struggle.
I love how this book really prioritizes God in our lives, and shares scripture to back it up.
I highly recommend this book to any Christian parent, looking to raise their children in the faith!

[Landon Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal book! I am sure I’ll return to this many times in the future. I not only found it incredibly helpful as I try to establish a mental and theological framework for raising kids in the future, but I also even found it applicable to my spiritual life even now before having kids. There are some parts that evangelicals might not totally connect with (discussion of icons and other Orthodox liturgical elements), but even these I found interesting and helpful. The approach that Mamalakis takes is both theologically rich and practically informed by modern understandings of child development and psychology, which is just what I was looking for.