Parenting Like Hannah

Explaining the Bible to Your Kids

9780764211287 Although I took several English classes studying the works of Shakespeare, I have to admit I wasn’t disappointed years later to encounter several series that explained the basic plot points, themes and significance of the various plays. It isn’t that I can’t understand the plays themselves, but sometimes it is nice to have everything summed up for me before I dive into the intricacies.

The Bible is an interesting book. It is both very basic and straightforward and extremely complex and mysterious. The combination can make some people afraid to even open it. (Translations using archaic English don’t help, either.) What many people need is someone to give them a big picture view before they read the Bible and try to understand the finer points.

I was interested to get a chance to review Quick-Start Guide to the Whole Bible: Understanding the Big Picture Book-by-Book by Dr. William H. Marty and Dr. Boyd Seevers. The authors break down the Bible one book per chapter. Within each chapter, they provide the setting, summary and significance of that particular book of the Bible.

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No Regrets Parenting

No Regrets Parenting - Parenting Like Hannah We are at the most bittersweet moment in parenting. In a few days, our daughter will be moved in to her first dorm room on a college campus 3000 miles from home. For the last several weeks, our days have been filled with doctor appointments, shopping trips and adventures with friends she won’t see for several months. Our family is starting a new stage of life.

I will be honest. Most of the people we know are sure our daughter will soar in her new environment. People who know me casually are taking bets on the date of my breakdown. Those who know me well, know my calendar is already packed with new adventures for me in my new empty nest life.

Actually, a part of me is a little sad. I always enjoy each stage of life to the fullest and am sad when it comes to an end. I loved being a full time, stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to our daughter. I actually liked our daughter and enjoyed spending time with her. I will miss having her around the house and in the car to share private jokes and adventures. On the other hand, I am also more than a little excited about the adventures she is about to have as a college student and the new ones I will have as well.

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Helping Kids With Fear and Anxiety

Helping Kids With Fear and Anxiety - Parenting Like Hannah

Fear is a natural part of childhood. From the monster under the bed to the first day of school, your children may experience all sorts of fears from time to time. Much of this is a natural reaction to trying something new and unfamiliar. With some children though, the fears and anxieties begin to negatively affect their quality of life.

I don’t normally review a lot of books outside of the Christian genre, but I have heard so many parents discuss the topic of childhood (and adult) fears and anxiety, I really felt this was an area I needed to explore. I was excited when a publisher offered me the chance to read and review the book, Freeing Your Child from Anxiety, Revised and Updated Edition: Practical Strategies to Overcome Fears, Worries, and Phobias and Be Prepared for Life–from Toddlers to Teensby Tamar Chansky, PhD.

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Teen Purity and the Selfie

Ask parents of teens what secretly worries them the most about their child’s teen years. They will probably mention their child’s possible sexual activity as one of the fears that can keep them up at night. Parents tend to have one of two mindsets about teen purity – either teens are going to do it no matter what, so let’s just help them be “safe” or if I dress them in maxi dresses and scare them to death (or don’t bring it up at all) it won’t happen. The results are often disastrous.

One of the biggest mistakes parents, churches and others make in the purity battle is making it all about the girls/women. The trend seems to favor the idea that “boys will be boys” so just encourage them to be careful and not produce unwanted heirs. As the mother of a girl, this will get me on my soapbox faster than you can say “birth control”.

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Teen Purity Begins at Home

Teen Purity Begins at Home- Parenting Like Hannah I blame Anna Wintour. Okay, the infamous editor of Vogue is not the only contributor to the problem, but she has definitely done her part. At some point in time, models went from the clean cut, natural looking Audrey Hepburn types to the hyper-sexualized photographs you can find today in almost any fashion magazine.

When I lived in New York City, I worked very briefly for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. They had Calvin Klein speak at a sales meeting I attended. This was when he introduced the first highly sexual ads and they were still controversial. I will never forget what he said. Basically, he admitted his intent was to shock.

It really wasn’t about beauty at all. He believed if he could shock you, he could get you to look at his ads and buy his clothes. He must have been right, because since that speech in the late ’80’s, other designers have picked up the trend and made it the norm. Unfortunately, the designers’ desire to sell clothes has morphed into sexy being the standard for beauty.

As a society, we have let people like Anna Wintour and Calvin Klein tell us what is beautiful. Even Christians buy in to the lies we are told. Beauty is defined by heavy make-up, “sexy” hair, form fitting clothes and exposed bodies. The natural look may flitter in the fashion world for a moment every few years, but rarely stays long as the “pure” look is not sexy enough to sell clothes. God’s standard of inner beauty is never really considered.

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