Customer Reviews

Heartfelt Discipline: The Gentle Art of Training and Guiding Your Child

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a heart-changing book that talks to parents about genuinely Christian, Christ-following discipline. Don't miss Clarkson's chapter of exegesis on the whole rod issue. He comes to some conclusions that are surprising and persuasive. It's a very important contribution to Christian thinking on this issue.

Too many times Christians approach discipline as an effort to control outward behavior. And while that's important at times, this book puts discipline into the context of the whole parent/child relationship, with Christ at the core.

Unlike other popular books on Christian parenting that are circulating these days, this book goes beyond behavior issues to actually touching on forms of discipline that relate to discipling your children in Christian matters and pointing them to the grace of Christ. If you've ever wondered about concrete ideas to incorporate sharing Christ with your children as a matter of daily family life, this book will give you many ideas and much to think about.

This book will bless your family--highly recommended.

I read, A LOT of books, especially about parenting. This book is the best one I have read, and every parent needs to read it. First of all, it is wonderful to read a book that helps you believe in yourself, instead of the author's "method". Secondly, it shows you how to make room for the Holy Spirit to work in your own individual family, it's not a generic method of legalistic rules. Thirdly, it brings up the discussion of interupting scripture, which more people need to do for themself, instead of following church tradition. I was a spanker, (I just thought it was the "Christian" thing to do!) and it was breaking my heart, and my children were becoming distanced from me. Now my heart and home has more peace and joy, thanks to the wisdom from Mr. Clarkson. I am planning on giving this book to everyone I know who has a baby, and am recommending it to everyone.

My husband is only 2/3 of the way through this book and already he is back to leading the family they way God intended! I no longer feel like a single parent. Our children are happier and our house is much more peaceful now. Anyone who has children should read this book. Other couple I know have had the same results with this book as well

"Heartfelt Discipline" by Clay Clarkson is in my opinion the best book that I have ever read on childhood discipline. Instead of giving us methods he gives us examples and places the responsibility for parenting right where it should be....on the parent. This is not a how to book but more of a guide of how to lean on the Holy Spririt and have Him lead you in areas of discipline with your children. How can you fail when you lean on the only one who can parent perfectly. I highly recommend this book.

I concur wholeheartedly with the review by Kathile. This book calls parents to a very high standard of dependence on Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Parents following Dr. Clarkson's advice couldn't help but mature as Christians themselves in the process. Highly recommended for parents AND grandparents.

There's no agenda here, accept Biblical truth. I was thrilled to finally find an author that would take the time to define the words for Biblical child training using the original Greek and Hebrew...how refreshing!! I have read too many interpretations that stretch to make the point the author wants their reader to hear. I have been a mom for over 18 years and I can honestly testify that this "Gentle Art of Training" really works!

After spending 8 years reading Parenting book after Parenting book this is the best one I have found...and believe me I have read high and low. The best thing about this book is that it really gets to the heart of parenting and acting just like Jesus would do. So many of us Christians have been fed (from our church, our peers, our families...) that to love our children is to 'discipline' them biblically. The thing I never understood is how much that style of 'discipline' (rod/spanking/authoritarian) was so very opposed to the loving Jesus I read in my bible. That Jesus that opened his arms to the children. Who told us to be like the children if we were to enter the kingdom of heaven. The man that is filled with Peace, Love, Forgiveness, Understanding, tireless Patience...that is Jesus! That is how he parented his disciples. Ask yourself how did he parent his disciples? I see in my truth bible that he told stories to help them think, grow, and learn from their mistakes. This was such a wonderful book to read, and reread. The Clarkson's get at the foundation of parenting. They don't spell out exactly what you say, you do, to little problems. They put your house in order. After reading this book I took all the other Parenting books back to the library. This is the keeper of the bunch. Amen, there really is a good parenting book out there for those of us Christians that don't believe the old-school, save your children from the devil, spank, and order around your children like they are dogs. This is truly a loving and heartfelt book that soothes those of us that are tired of all the bad parenting books that are either too passive, too mushy or the opposite the mean hearted, unloving, horrid books. This book was terrific and I give it my highest score!

Thankyou Clay Clarkson for a wonderful tool, and for being brave enough to write this beacon of light, in a world with LOTs of books on how to do ....a.b.=c job, and if you don't, well, you just aren't following God type books.
Thankyou for giving parents some guidelines, and for telling them to trust the Lord.
I'm glad this was not a how to book, but a book that opens a great discussion on how things have been, why they may not be right, and that it is ok to trust God and follow the Leading of the Holy Spirit in raising our families. It is ok to be tender, to have talks, to be compassionate... the things Christ taught.... :)
I have met the Clarksons over several years and they have wonderful children, who are from young, to young adult.
This was a great book for us to read, as parents of 7 children from 28 down to 7.
You can never stop learning.

My husband and I were raised in Christian families, and after having our first baby, started really thinking about discipline. How to do it? What to do? What works? What does the Scripture tell us? Clay's book is one of the few Christian parenting resources that focuses on the real-deal: parenting in the Spirit to win your child's heart for Christ. We sought long and hard to find a Christian book on parenting that did *not* have spanking as its "fall-back" tool (to put it mildly) Many popular Christian parenting books imply, or even state outright, that spanking is not negotiable if you wish to raise your child for Christ. Sorry, but it is just not that clear-cut.

Whether you end up agreeing with Clay's chapter on spanking (he exegetes the Proverbs passages in a much different way than the other popular Christian books) is not the issue. He really leaves room for you to disagree - his goal in the book is not to "convert" you. It is simply to present an alternative, and, at the least, make sure that you make a discerning choice about whether the Scripture teaches spanking or not.

The heartbeat of the book is Spirit-led parenting that uses tools such as encouragement, instruction, correction, praising, loving...the toolbox is endless if you are willing to walk by faith, not by formula. We are walking the road of life alongside our children. Beautiful picture. This book is a must-read and is the book we will give every new parent we know. Sally Clarkson's books on mothering are also amazing!

And, to follow up on the comment on "exegesis" by another reader who implies the Clarkson children aren't yet a testimony to their parents' beliefs, all you need do is go read their blogs, hear their stories. They aren't a perfect family, but they sure are close and following Christ together. [...]

Finally a godly man is brave enough to go against the mainstream christianity and tell the truth about disciplining in love and grace without hitting our children. All parents should read this book!