What I'm Reading || Parenting Get "IT" Right - Southern State of Mind Blog by Heather

I usually don’t read self-help books. In fact, I have a pile sitting on my “to-be-read” shelf. It’s not that I don’t need help, because I DO! It’s that I read because I enjoy reading. Not to do “the work”. But after listening to the podcast about this book, I decided I needed to do “the work” and take a deeper dive.

I recently read Parenting- Getting “It” Right by Andy & Sandra Stanley. If you aren’t familiar with Andy Stanley, he is the pastor of a mega church here in Atlanta called North Point. When our kids were younger, we attended one of his satellite locations and Andy really never disappointed. We loved his messages and his approach to church. We ultimately decided to switch churches for a more intimate environment, but I continually look to Andy to guide many areas of my life.

So it’s no surprise that this book is pure gold for practical parenting wisdom. The premise is that the “it” in parenting is to have your grown children want to hang out with you and their siblings when they are grown. That’s their “it”. It was fascinating to hear why he believes this is the fundamental north star to parenting. (spoiler alert- it’s all about managing the relationship)

There were so many ah-ha moments and it only made me wish I had read this years ago. Or just even before the summer started. But as I head into the middle school years, I’m glad to have a few new tools in the parenting toolbox. And you better believe I handed this book over to my husband so he can absorb this wisdom as well.

You can listen to the podcast that prompted me reading this book HERE.

Add it to your bookshelf here ==> PARENTING- GET “IT” RIGHT

Am I getting parenting right? Most parents, at any and every stage, find themselves asking this question.

Whether you’re sleep deprived with a colicky newborn or navigating the emotional roller coaster of a teenager, parenting has its ups and downs, its confusion and clarity, its big blowups and small victories. And no matter our family makeup or our children’s personalities, many of us experience anxiety over our children’s futures and often fear making a mistake.

Andy and Sandra Stanley are no strangers to this feeling. As parents of three grown children and cofounders of North Point Ministries, they are seasoned experts on faith and parenting. Together they have spent decades counseling countless families, mentoring others, and learning from mentors of their own, all while leading one of the largest churches in the country.

In Parenting: Getting It Right, Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. In an inviting, conversational approach that is both informative and accessible, the Stanleys help readers understand the most important goal in parenting and learn the steps to pursue it by:

Learning the four distinct stages of parenting
Clarifying the primary goal of parenting and developing a parenting orientation around that goal
Identifying and adapting their approach–not their rules–to their children’s distinct personalities
Deciding on their shortlist of non-negotiables and learning to stick to it

You don’t have to constantly doubt if you’re getting it right as a parent. Start here and feel confident about raising a healthy and happy family.

You can catch up on all the past books “ON MY SHELF” here!

WHAT I’M READING || 2023 Reads
January: All Good People Here
February: Where the Forest Meets the Stars
March: The Push
April:
Remarkably Bright Creatures
One Italian Summer
May:
A Man Called Ove
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Horse
June: Carrie Soto is Back
July: Book Lovers
August: Parenting Getting IT Right