This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.
My Dream
Reading Love Centered Parenting and the entire process behind it has helped me fulfill one of my biggest dreams. My dream for The Book Nanny is for publishers and authors to send me copies of their books to review. I want to read these books either before publication or shortly after. Then I can give you guys an inside scoop of these brilliant books, so you know which ones you should get your hands on!
Just so we are all on the same page I have not been compensated in anyway (other than a free book) for this review. These are all my actual thoughts about this book. Also some of these links will take you to Amazon. I am an Amazon affiliate. If you click on a link and decide to buy something I will get pennies for referring you. This in no way changes the price for you. It just helps me make a bit for doing what I love.
So far, I have had the opportunity to read two books this way! The first was Luna’s Rescue by Erica Richardson. It is a super cute book about a gecko who has to save her family of humans. There are many good messages throughout the book. It is perfect for young readers starting chapter books. Read more about Luna’s Rescue in the post I wrote here. The second book in this series just came out, and I am super excited to read it!
Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you click on a link and decide to buy something, I will get pennies for referring you. This in no way changes the price for you. It just helps me make a bit for doing what I love.
Initial Thoughts about Love Centered Parenting
Okay, so back to my dream of free books and reading before the book launch. Last month I found out about an opportunity to read Love Centered Parenting before its release on March 16th. This whole month I have been reading, soaking up its message, and started applying it to my life with a toddler. This book has taken all of my random thoughts about parenting and boiled it down so anyone can read it. It really is a great resource for all types of parents. Whether you are the parent with no idea of where to start or the parent who has been doing this for a while but needs a tweak, this book is for you.
Love Centered Parenting is amazing, and my new go-to baby shower gift. I am hosting a giveaway of the book here in the next couple of weeks! So stay tuned for more details! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter, so you don’t miss it.
The Beginning
“My child is suicidal.”
I could barely whisper the words to the woman at the emergency room desk when she asked why we were there.
My husband, Jesse, stood quietly behind me. We were both at our wits’ end.
We had wrestled for days between feeling desperately overwhelmed one minute and resolute the next, pledging we would do whatever it took to help our child.In just four weeks’ time, our neat little life had shattered in pieces. All my parenting ideals were broken, and I was left reeling, scared, and devastated.
Love Centered Parenting by Crystal Paine
The Journey in Love Centered Parenting
This is how the book opens and where the story begins of discovering a new way to parent. It starts at the bottom and in a place of darkness. Crystal is so brave for sharing this very personal heartbreak. She welcomes us into one of her darkest days as a parent, so we, as readers, can see exactly where she is coming from. From this place of darkness, she leads us through her journey to love differently.
Crystal gives us glimpses over and over into her family and the interactions they have. These interactions are not perfect. They aren’t scripted or tied with a pretty ribbon. Her world is turned into words, so the rest of us can see what Love Centered Parenting looks like. She humbly walks us through her journey of learning and turning to God. From God, she finds a new way to parent because the old was unsalvageable.
If you want to learn more about Crystal check out her blog The Money Saving Mom.
The Realization
“I realized that most of my parenting had been about me. I was parenting for my own approval and reputation instead of for my relationship with my kids and for their well-being. I cared more about what others thought than I did about my kids’ hearts. I worried more about producing kids who made good decisions than about kids who knew they were wholeheartedly loved.”
Love Centered Parenting, Crystal Paine
After reading this passage, I had to really stop and think about my parenting journey so far. Some of these questions ran through my head. Is your parenting about you or your child? Are you acting and reacting in a way that society pressures you to or a way that is right for your child? Was I doing it for my child or me? I haven’t figured out how to these questions, but it has made me stop and rethink a few things I was doing.
About Love Centered Parenting
This book starts with working on yourself, the parent before you can help your child. The building blocks of Love Centered Parenting are the ideas of self-love, love from God, and trust in the atonement of Jesus. Crystal is a Christian and allows her beliefs to permeate everything in her life. I love her insights into different passages in the bible and how they apply to the world of parenting.
The four steps she goes over in Love Centered Parenting are 1) Lean In and Love, 2) Listen Well, 3) Lead with Humility, and 4) Let Go. These may seem simple, but I love how she devotes time to each one showing what happens when it’s working or not. Crystal gives many examples of showing love to our children, stoping to actually listen, leading, and ultimately, letting go.
“We will never do it all right— and that’s not the goal. Our kids need parents who are honest enough to admit their mistakes and imperfections and their need for Jesus.”
– Love Centered Parenting by Crystal Paine
Thoughts and Recommendations
It took me a while to read this book because there were so many good parts that I was trying to soak up. I highlighted over 30 passages as I read because Crystal’s story resonated with me. It has changed my perspective on parenthood. This book does not put you down or tell you that you have screwed up as a mother. Instead, it gives you the tools you need to succeed and the encouragement to make it happen.
If you can’t tell, I highly recommend this book! This book is an amazing resource for moms and dads, new and old. These principles are also relevant for teachers and any type of youth leader. Yes, this book is about parenting but it’s also about being a great leader and has many different applications.
Seriously get Love Centered Parenting before it sells out. They have already started the second printing of it and I don’t know how long it is going to last.
Let me know in the comments what you think of this book!
Happy Reading!
Emily
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.
