As we close out the parenting series, we’ve gathered some recommendations and resources from around the web to share with parents. Here’s a list of some websites, podcasts, books, and articles we’ve crowdsourced from our editorial board members.
Websites and Podcasts
1. CCEF
Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation has a landing page for their parenting resources with practical help in the form of articles (e.g. “Shepherding Children through Exposure to Pornography”) and videos (e.g.”How can I wisely parent my child who is very emotional and sensitive?”).
Kathy Koch’s Celebrate Kids Podcast offers bite-sized episodes from a child psychologist with a biblical worldview.
Ruth Chou Simons and her husband Troy Simons released this 13-episode podcast as a companion to their book, Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family.
Risen Motherhood is a ministry that seeks to help moms connect their faith to motherhood. They often have mini-series on their podcast on topics relevant to different stages of motherhood. (For example, this one on school choice and education)
We’ve shared a list of our favorite articles from Rooted Ministry before, and appreciate their resources which equip and empower churches and parents to faithfully disciple students toward lifelong faith. They also have a podcast!
Redeemed Reader is my (Faith) go-to resource for finding quality books for my kids. I pull up their book lists while I’m at the library and refer to their book reviews which consider both literary excellence and compatibility with a biblical worldview.
7. Plugged-In
This Focus on the Family resource has helpful reviews of media (movies, music, games, etc.) that parents can refer to when making decisions about what content to allow at home or talking with kids about it afterwards.
The mission of Westminster Kids is to curate biblically faithful books for kids, and the blog has reviews and book lists of Christian books for children and teens.
Books
1. Five Things to Pray for Your Kids
If you’re looking for ways to grow in praying for your kids, this short and accessible guide from Melissa Kruger has prayer prompts from Scripture to lead parents through praying for their children’s spiritual growth and character development in 21 key areas.
2. Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus
Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson write on how to have a grace-motivated approach to parenting that will help kids connect the gospel with their daily lives.
3. Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family
Paul Tripp writes “14 big-picture themes in Scripture that, when properly understood, can change the way you understand God’s call on you as a parent.” In it, he offers what he feels was missing from the (also helpful) books Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens and Shepherding a Child’s Heart.
4. Parenting With Words of Grace: Building Relationships with Your Children One Conversation at a Time
Offering “practical guidance for grace-filled communication in the midst of the craziness of everyday life,” see this short review on why this has been the parenting book I (Faith) have gifted the most.
5. The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place
Andy Crouch offers biblical guiding principles and practical advice for parents around the question of tech use. (See other book recommendations on technology here : Discipling the Next Generation in Tech Use.)
6. Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids
Julie Lowe helps parents and caregivers teach the safety skills that will help protect their children from mistreatment, unsafe situations, violence, bullying, cyber-crimes, predatory behavior, sexting, abuse, and other kinds of danger that they might encounter. (Julie’s website also has an archive of helpful parenting articles she’s written.)
This isn’t a book on parenting, but it is a helpful series for parents looking to talk to children (4-9 years old) about topics like death, disability, gender, and race. (See also CCEF’s Good News for Little Hearts counseling series and The Gospel Coalition’s Kids Books.)
Also see:
- For single-parent families: God’s Grace for Every Family: Biblical Encouragement for Single-Parent Families and the Churches That Seek to Love Them Well
- For expectant mothers: Labor with Hope: Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood
- For those facing pregnancy loss: You Are Still a Mother
- For new dads: Hope for New Dads: 40 Days in the Book of Proverbs
- For new moms: Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full
Articles
1. Dear First-Time Father: An Open Letter to New Dads
Tom Sugimura writes about affirmation and authority in this letter to first-time fathers.
2. Watching Bluey as an Asian American Father
Larry Kim writes, “As I watched this, I thought, ‘I want to be like that.’” (Also see his article, “Like Father, Like Son” on reckoning with generational sin as a father and, on a similar theme, “The Perfect Father Who Shows Me His Way” from Helen Sim Ritenour.)
3. Finding My Neediness In Postpartum Hours, Days, And Weeks
Many moms can probably relate to Amy Loh here: “The first six weeks postpartum were the most difficult six weeks I have ever experienced in my entire life. I had never felt so helpless, anxious, and such physical pain all at once before.”
4. You Don’t Become Superwoman Overnight—And That’s Okay
Encouragement for first-time moms—and for the more seasoned moms with new moms in their lives.
5. Choose For Yourself: Joshua’s Message for Dads
“If you’re a father, have you made a similar commitment with your household? Have you put a stake in the ground that you will not run after the false gods of your ancestors? Have you drawn a line in the sand that you will not run after the false gods of American values? Will you lead those in your family to serve the true God?”
6. The Baby Given to Women Who Miscarry
“Her eyes welling over with tears, my friend looked me full in the face and asked an honest question: What does the gospel have to do with my miscarriage?”
7. Lessons From Living With Unexplained Infertility
Wien and Ellen Fung write about the pain of navigating the desire to be parents and for those who want to help care for couples living with infertility.
As part of this series, Tom Sugimura started us off with Why Can’t My Teen Make Normal Conversation?, T. Kim spoke about What Risks Can Moms Take?, and Connie Leung Nelson offered reflections on what true parenting success looks like in Parenting for “Success”: Remembering He who is Sovereign.
Photo Credit: Ash from Modern Afflatus