Book Recommendation for Moms

I have a few favorite authors whose books I read over and over (as needed). Angela Thomas is one of them. Many of her books have been manuals for me to help parent young children and teenagers.  I got her latest book last week (thank you Scott!) and picked it up yesterday.  I read a good chunk of it and was hooked.

The title is "52 Things Kids Needs from a Mom...What Mothers Can Do to Make a Lifelong Difference". At first, I thought I was buying it as a reference book for all the young moms in my life (since my kids are getting pretty close to full grown)-something to recommend, but I was gripped in the introduction. I still need it!

Here are a few of the chapter titles. "Kids need their Moms:

• To Pray in Secret with the Door Open
• To Never Stop Touching Them
• To Make Them Sit Around the Table...and Linger
• To Miss a Few things They Do Wrong
• To Put Down Their Phone
• To Turn Their Beds Down at Night
• To Give Grace-Filled Consequences
• To Be a Passionate, Alive, Spiritual Lover of God
• To Become Spiritually Healthy
• To Tell Them What She'd Do Differently
• To Set the Tone For the Family"

I put a few into practice as soon as my kids got home yesterday.  The truth is, you just can't love them enough.  I texted my college boy to remind him that even though he's not here with us, he's still an important part of our family.  Then I wrote him a love note (in my own handwriting) so that he could later refer to how proud his Dad and I are of him and sent him a little cash to take on his upcoming mission trip.

After a long dinner, I spent some one-on-one time with Ben.  I wanted to go for a walk and he wanted to play basketball.  So, while I walked, he dribbled alongside me and talked and talked and talked.  Then we made a detour to a neighborhood hoop and shot around awhile.  (Gave him a chance to make fun of me and tell me I 'shoot like a girl'.)  I hugged and touched and played with my girl's hair as we laid in my bed before turning in for the night, giving her the eye contact she craves and discussing things from her world.

It is amazing how many things you can learn about your kids when you just give them undivided attention - away from others, the tv, phones, computers, etc.  I know they all felt loved by my little efforts yesterday, but I was filled.  So thankful for this book and some simple reminders!  Parenting is a short season (as I'm realizing each day) and I want to make sure I put my whole effort into raising the next generation of followers of Jesus Christ, don't you?  This book will give you some fresh ideas.

I highly recommend it to every Mom who isn't sure of how powerful her influence is and for those who want to make that lasting difference in your kids. I believe it will be an encouragement to moms no matter what your children's ages are.  You will not feel guilty for what you may have missed so far and you will rejoice when you see how much you've already done right!