Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids

by Julie Lowe

Because children are vulnerable, they need to be protected. After more than two decades as a family counselor, Julie Lowe has seen how important it is to help parents and caregivers think wisely and biblically about the dangers children face. Instead of living in fear or denial, parents and caregivers can equip children to assess people and situations and model for them how to live by faith in a world where evil exists. Lowe helps parents and caregivers teach the safety skills that will help protect their children from mistreatment, unsafe situations, violence, bullying, cyber-crimes, predatory behavior, sexting, abuse, and other kinds of danger that they might encounter. The safety skills that are needed at every stage—preschool, elementary-age, teens, and college-bound—are discussed and applied in an age-appropriate way. Safeguards provides tools, skills, and resources to help when faced with uncomfortable, challenging, or dangerous situations. Instead of growing more anxious, parents and caregivers can grow in a biblical understanding of the type of dangers and issues children and young people might face, learn how to instill confidence and conviction in responding to new or fearful situations, and distinguish safe vs. unsafe people and situations.

Genres: Parenting, Christian, Christian Living, Counselling, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2022

About the author

Julie Lowe is a faculty member at CCEF. She holds an MA in counseling from Biblical Theological Seminary. She is a licensed professional counselor with over 18 years of counseling experience. Julie is also a registered play therapist and has developed a play therapy office at CCEF to better serve families, teens, and children Julie and her husband, Greg, have six children and serve as foster and adoptive parents. She is the author of Childproof: Parenting by Faith Not Formula and has written minibooks and numerous articles for the Journal of Biblical Counseling.

Reviews

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, fantastic, FANTASTIC book. Every parent should read this ASAP. While it is written with a Biblical worldview, any parent could (and should) gain from this as Lowe touches on such a wide variety of areas we need to be preparing our children - from family fire & natural disaster plans all the way to campus safety & online dating. The content is HEAVY and at times hard to listen to (I had to work my way through it slowly) because as expected, a good portion of the book focuses on sexual & domestic abuse as well as online safety (and often how they coincide).

What sets this apart from other books of similar content is how Lowe centers everything around trust in the Lord and REFUSING to let fear take control. At the beginning of the book, she addresses two kinds of parents: those that are not informed of the dangers lurking (or just in denial) and those swallowed up in fear of them. I find myself in the second camp, and so I was very appreciative of her constantly circling back to trusting the Lord, casting out fear, and keeping worry at bay. I so needed this book and her wisdom and encouragement. I myself feel better equipped to prepare AND protect my kids.

The thoroughness of content and approach is amazing and yet Lowe manages to keep the book relatively short. She asks hard, thought-provoking questions, urging parents to really think through and plan how to equip their kids - WITHOUT laying out hundreds of step by step or word by word "plans". While at times I would love that, it defeats the purpose of parents being intentional and proactive. That, and as she points out often, each child and family is so unique that each parent MUST be the equipper. (I really appreciate her notes on kids with disabilities, there is no one size fits all answer!)

The only thing I found myself wishing for is along the lines of what I mentioned above. I don't expect a "here's exactly what to do in this scenario" handout, but it can't be assumed that all parents reading the book KNOW the correct biblical response to some of the scenarios she lays out (thinking mostly on the bullying chapter and the one on teenagers). I found myself several times thinking "but I don't know how else to talk about this, what does the good and right response look like that I'm supposed to be having instead?". I would've loved to be pointed in the direction of where to go if unsure (maybe a list of resources at the end of ghe book?).

[molly shank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. I will definitely pick it back up once my kids and I need wisdom on preteen/teenage issues. Some takeaways:
- I'm not going to make decisions now about technology in our home, because in 16 years it will look different. I may feel differently as technology and our life change.
- different rules for different children is okay and as parents we need to walk through it in wisdom with each child
- I found the wisdom issues on sleepovers very helpful. Lots of good questions to ask other parents before allowing sleepovers in your home and others’ homes
- Don't make decisions based on fear. Your kids will sin and make mistakes, you will sin and make mistakes. Always be open to conversation, be honest, and say you’re sorry. Model forgiveness and repentance.
- emphasize going to the truth found in Scripture
- teach children to seek answers from the triune
God. This is the greatest safety skill.
- emphasis on being a friend to your child - having a relationship with them.

All around a really good read on many issues that will come up in the home someday.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seems like I could be a scary read, but it brought me peace and has given me confidence as a parent!

[Frances Eaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very helpful. I did work through it very slow but I found her insight very helpful. The author has over 20 years of experience in counseling children and teens. This book is one I’ll return to for sure.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working and volunteering with children and families since 2008, I am often asked about resources that are available to children and families to help guide them Spiritually and through life’s tough issues and topics. When New Growth Press told me about Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids by Julie Lowe, I had a feeling it would be a great resource for all of us and I was right. In Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids, Julie Lowe uses her counseling and Christian background to discuss various safeguards that you can put into place that will impact your child from a young age to teen to adulthood from a Christian and Biblical perspective. The Safeguards topics covered include teaching your child how God created their body and boundaries for various situations, how to navigate your teen through technology and tips on how to handle dating, and how to give your child the tools to navigate dangerous situations no matter their age (because the job of a parent is never done).

I really love how Julie Lowe wrote Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids, from the beginning of childhood to adults and the various issues they face at those ages and the practical safeguards that the adults in their life can put in place. I love how Ms. Lowe tells you to approach each safeguard situation honestly and age-appropriately with your child and backs everything up Biblically. I loved the practicality of the Safeguards Ms. Lowe suggests and the examples and the personal stories she shares to help illustrate the safeguard she is talking about. I love how the author explains how to show respect to a person’s body and what is appropriate help. I love how the author explains that maturity and technology goes hand-in-hand, just like with dating as children get older and gives tips on how to deal with that appropriately. I love the practical tips that Ms. Lowe gives when your child turns 18. I also love that Ms. Lowe mentions different dangerous situations your child could experience and how you can teach them how to get out of that situation and who to contact.

I believe Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids has many practical tips and solutions to help you safeguard your child in a Biblical and Christian manner from childhood to adulthood. If you work with children in any capacity Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids is a resource you can recommend to the adults in their lives with confidence. I highly recommend Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids by Julie Lowe!

I would like to thank New Growth Press for giving me a copy of Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My review is also on my blog, Leslie's Library Escape.

[Caleb Purdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Lowe is helpful in giving proactive advice for how to raise children well. She especially promotes role playing with children to prepare them for situations that they might experience in their lives. I also thought that she was very helpful in preparing parents to respond with grace in all situations, even when their child has done something that they do not approve of. There is nothing earth shattering in the book, but I think that is what makes it great. Solid, consistent, and grace-filled parenting will hopefully lead to strong, smart, and faithful children. Highly recommend!

[Ellen Raquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, and the second I’ve read by this author. She is balanced and biblical, and did a good job talking about wise actions that are not based in fear.

[Caroline Hurdt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblical, practical suggestions and questions, well written. Highly recommend.

[sincerely · Rating 5 out of 5]

SAFEGUARDS

This is a great resource 👏 I think this is an especially great book to read if maybe you have felt a doubt that you have the capabilities or knowledge that you really need to keep your kids safe in the modern world. The advice here is succinct, easily understood, and totally doable. The author is very aware of her tone, is an expert in her field of 20 years, a mom of 6 kids, and serves as a foster and adoptive parent as well. I was really pleased with her writing and how the book is laid out. I would absolutely give this as a gift and recommend it to parents! I especially loved the encouragement to continue to have an open dialogue with my kiddos - many of the things I do that I've questioned hmm, maybe this is too much 😂 - I saw those things in the pages of this book 👏🙌 I was so encouraged to keep going. Sometimes intentional, safe parenting in the modern world feels like a lonely road - this book will remind you that you are most definitely not alone! I was also pleased to see lots and lots of practical advice for physically staying safe. There is such a focus (rightly so) on internet safety today, but it's so important to be aware of outside safety as well! There are many, many safeguards for our kids and teens and this book honestly reviews them ALL 👏

Many of the books I review here are for homeschool families, so I try to always state if books are cross-over or not. This book has nothing to do with homeschool at all and can be read by any parent ❤️😘

Thank you to New Growth Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review! So glad books like this are out there!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowe encourages parents to “establish a home and a worldview that protects your children.” Her overarching principles are 1. We live in a broken, fallen world, 2. We teach children to navigate the world by helping them learn to discern good from evil and right from wrong. 3. Yet, we trust that our safety ultimately rests in the hands of our God.

She opens with recognising dangers in our modern world that is technology rich, peer influenced, and self-oriented. Yet, as in every age, our hearts are sinful and our motivations are never pure, and we are called to be salt and light. Neither worry nor denial are safety skills, and we don’t want to raise fearful kids, but equipped kids. A parent’s role is to know their children, where they are vulnerable, and to equip them discerningly for the realities of life and things they may experience.

The middle section covers numerous areas in which to equip children with safety skills, including abuse, evaluating behaviour, role play, bullying, if kids get lost, and sleepovers. Each has wise advice and suggestions, acknowledging that each family will make their own decisions. The final section considers safety with teenagers and young adults. Chapters cover: peer pressure, sex & dating, pornography, alcohol and drugs, mental health, and safety skills for growing independence.

Some parents may feel overwhelmed. But much of it is proactive, wise, common sense applied to the challenges of parenting. It may operate as an alert to remind you of things you have put off addressing with your kids, or may raise issue you have not yet thought about. A helpful resource for parents.

For a more detailed review see: https://musingsinadelaide.blogspot.co...

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers most areas from babysitters to dating, bringing in Scripture for guidance. I didn't enjoy the book much, as it was, of course, uncomfortable to think through all the potential dangers out there, and the writing style was bland, but also it seemed seemed very focused on families who do daycare, public school and a more modern lifestyle than I would identify with. Not that homeschooling families are at all exempt from dangers and the world, but I felt really out of touch with most of the examples used and was reminded of how many smaller dangers relating to peers or being alone are minimized in the homeschooling family which she never once mentioned. The main takeaways for me were maintaining an open and loving relationship with children to talk about everything (another thing that tends to be far easier in a homeschooling family, she assumes kids are out in school and we have to work hard to stay connected), balancing alertness to our situations with trust in God who is always with us, and teaching kids to evaluate, not character (we can't) but behavior.

[T.A. Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I really needed to read. There have been many blindspots in my parenting that this book helpfully pointed out. It has given me helpful tips which I immediately implemented, as well as a general structure of open communication on certain topics which I intend to continue throughout my childrens' upbringing. I found Julie Lowe to have an acute ability to apply Scripture to complex real life issues, and solidified for me a deeper understanding of both discernment and deception. The sections on pornography and technology are very helpful. My only major complaint is that the book seems too short, and I wanted more from most chapters. I'd also warn anxious types that while I think they would benefit from the book's content, the book could definitely stir anxieties. For example, the book led me to look up our local sex offender registry, and check all my home fire alarms and wiring... And, well, ignorance is bliss. But we don't want to be ignorant about how to protect and equip our children in this present evil age!

[Jac Filer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful book that I will make a point to tell other parents about. While it doesn't reveal any threat or risk that I wasn't aware of, it discusses them in a very organized fashion, sectioned neatly for different age groups.
What I like most, though, is that this book isn't about offering a prefabricated list of correct answers, but helping parent to engage with the correct questions. And that is a parenting skill that will still be useful as new risks and challenges continue to confront our children.

[Bethany Bowen-Wefuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for parents! Lowe is a helpful and hopeful guide for Christian parents as we navigate the myriad of issues related to protecting our children from people and situations that will harm them. I especially love the connection she makes between biblical wisdom and safety, and her skill in showing how wisdom speaks to the most concrete decisions parents and children make (e.g. choosing a babysitter, screen time, sleepovers, etc.).

[Laura Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! Julie Lowe gives practical advice about wisdom issues in parenting while urging parents to trust the Lord and shepard their children well. One of her main points is that Christians should strive to raise equipped kids, not fearful kids. Some of the topics: sexual abuse, what to do if they are lost, teaching kids to evaluate behavior, pornography and sexting, etc.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has many helpful suggestions. I rated it 3 stars because I’m not sure it’s for everybody in that it could stir up more anxiety and fear in certain personalities. I struggled with that as I read it.

[Julie Havener · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful treatment of many of the issues facing parents and grand parents today. If you want to have a plan to equip your children to face their culture and society in a way that allows them to grow in their faith then this book will help you.

[Emily Snooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the practicality of this book. Some great questions to think through the safety of our children and how we will go about handling it. The book emphasizes not living in fear but also not denial and that we are called to use wisdom as we discern how to raise our children in a sinful world. I liked the chapters on roleplaying with our children and practicing scenarios and giving them conversation tools or actions they can do to keep them safe. It was a bit wordy and sometimes repetitive but definitly a book I will reference throughout the years.
My favorite part was how they handled talking to your children about what adults can ask of them that is appropriate for them to listen and obey, and when it is inappropriate or will cause them to sin and therefore then can disobey (even if it’s a trusted adult).

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful guide through some difficult issues. Helpful emphasis on wisdom and training our children for wisdom.

[Stephen Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great book full of useful, actionable advice. I will definitely be revisiting this book at various points as my kids grow older.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immensely practical, and helps us think through basic principles to help us understand how to help our families.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this would’ve been available to read years ago when my first was a baby. Definitely one to own, highlight, and refer to time and time again as a parent.

[J Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book!

[Simen N. Myklebust · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well written book shows you why and how you should prepare children by talking to them about dangers and challenges. By avoiding naivety and just worrying parents can instead help their children by equipping them and keeping them safe.