Dani Johnson's Grooming the Next Generation for Success is the best parenting book I have ever read.
When I was young, I was appalled at how parents spoke to their children. Today I am appalled at how children speak to their parents. I am shocked at how my college students comport themselves. I can't say much for my colleagues, either! Oh dear! Our society is in deep trouble.
Dani Johnson has a lot of help. The part I like best is the verbatim conversations, how she talks to her children In general, they go something like the following:
“You want to succeed, don't you?”
“Yes, mom.”
“Want to try that again?”
“Sure, mom.”
“You understand why this family does things like the 2 %, right?”
“Yes, mom, only 2% succeed and so we don't follow the crowd.”
“Right! Good job!”
Of course, she does tell us what to do when the response is not as is desired.
I was delighted with her distinction between protection and control. I was impressed at the discipline required even in an affluent home. I was amazed at how she and her husband set up a procedure to test and socialize her teenage daughter's potential date/mate into their system of honoring one another. Given the overall foundation, it is believable that their daughter sits through the initial conversation setting up the rules with a suitor, knowing she is a protected princess, not a controlled piece of disrespected chattel.
If you care nothing about Scripture, nevertheless, you will see the efficacy and sense in what she says. If you are a Bible believing Christian, you will see immediately how Johnson's way of parenting connects with Biblical principles and you will marvel that we haven't lived this way before.
It is high time to improve our parenting. Now is the time to step up to the challenges of the modern world, a world where our children are innundated with sexploitation, laziness and poor thinking. Johnson gives principles and realistic examples from her own family to help us take our parenting to a new level.
This is not a collection of trainers' platitudes. This is a book for the times. I am giving this book away for Christmas. My daughter gets the first such present. If you have anything to do with kids -- or are even are a grandparent like me -- you want to read it before you do the next item on your “To Do” list. Bravo! Hallelujah!
Sharon Sarles, Mont.Dip., M.Div., M.A. (Sociology)
www.greatshalom.org
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