Raising great kids. Workbook for parents of preschoolers ages 0-5 a comprehensive guide to parenting with grace and truth

In approaching parenting from both a developmental and spiritual direction, the authors show how biblical character includes competent functioning in areas such as relationship skills, tasks, ownership, responsibility and follow through, self-control, perseverance, delay of gratification, ability to lose and grieve, and the ability to forgive. What does it take to raise great kids? If you've read any books on parenting, conflicting opinions have probably left you feeling confused. Get tough! Show acceptance. Lay down the rules. Lighten up, already! - There's got to be a balance — and there is. Joining their expertise with the wisdom of MOPS International (Mothers of Preschoolers), Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend help you provide both the care and acceptance that make grace real to your child, and the firmness and discipline that give direction. Avoiding the twin extremes of permissiveness and over-control, Drs. Cloud and Townsend show how you can help your child cultivate six necessary character traits: attachment, responsibility, reality, competence, morality, and worship/spiritual life. - At last, here is an effective middle ground for raising up children who will handle life with maturity and wisdom. Raising Great Kids will help you equip your son or daughter to accept life's responsibilities, grow from its challenges, and freely and fully explore all that it has to offer. Author Biography: Dr. Henry Cloud is a popular speaker, licensed psychologist, cohost of the nationally broadcast New Life Live! radio program, and cofounder of Cloud/Townsend Resources. He maintains a private practice in Newport Beach, CA. Dr. John Townsend is a popular speaker, licensed psychologist, cohost of the nationally broadcast "Minirth Meier New Life Clinic" radio program, and cofounder of Cloud/Townsend Communications. He maintains a private practice in Newport Beach, CA. Raising Great Kids,by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, addresses the importance of being a parent and the six character traits every child needs to develop to become responsible adult. Parenting is a complex and demanding task. Yet it is one of the most important responsibilities that any person ever takes on. Child rearing is the job of nurturing and training a child over time into someone who is ready for adulthood. This takes time, love and effort. And many parents feel overwhelmed with the job. The Raising Great Kids material was developed for that need. The material takes the approach that the job of parenting is primarily that of developing character in the child. Character is the sum of the child's abilities to deal with life as God intended. There are six important traits of character that parents need to develop in children, at all ages and stages of development. They are Connectedness: learning to relate, trust, and attach to God and safe people. Responsibility: taking ownership of their lives, behavior, emotions and values. Reality: learning to deal with imperfect people in an imperfect world (including themselves) Competence: developing skills and expertise in school, tasks, jobs and other areas. Morality: becoming a person with a healthy conscience and ethics. Worship/Spiritual Life: developing a vital and ongoing relationship with God. As parents apply themselves to these areas of character, children learn to function with the many demands that life puts on them. In addition, Raising Great Kids addresses the important issue of balancing love and discipline. So many parents are confused about how affirming and positive to be with children, and how structured and strict to be. The material provides principles to help the parent gain skills in staying connected to the child, and still being in control of the parenting process. Raising Great Kids applies to kids of all ages, from birth to 18, and will provide parents with a biblical and practical way to successfully conduct the child rearing process. Raising great kids is a goal that is both overwhelming and frightening for many parents. The responsibility of someone's life in your hands, knowing your own failings, can make anyone anxious and unsure. Raising Great Kids guides parents in laying the best foundation they can, parenting with truth and grace. --provided by website: http://www.cloudtownsendstore.com/ragrki.html What does it take to raise great kids' If you've read any books on parenting, conflicting opinions have probably left you feeling confused. Get tough! Show acceptance. Lay down the rules. Lighten up, already! There's got to be a balance between control and permissiveness. And there is. Drawing on the expert insights of counselors and award-winning authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend and on the parenting wisdom of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International, Raising Great Kids shows you that truth and grace aren't polar opposites. They are allies in your most challenging and rewarding task: raising children with character that can withstand life's rigors and make the most of its potential The co-hosts of the "New Life" radio program show how parenting is not just intellectual work--it also demands emotional maturity and spiritual wisdom. A 6 session curriculum on creating character in children