Customer Reviews

Raising Great Kids on Your Own: A Guide and Companion for Every Single Parent

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm so grateful I bought this book. I had read the authors' book "Moving Forward After Divorce" [also excellent] and I picked this one up because I liked the first one so well.

My beloved husband of 15 years abandoned me about 7 months ago for his "online romance" and moved several states away, leaving me alone to raise our 6 young children. To say it has been traumatic and horrible is an understatement.

That is why I SO NEEDED this book.

The authors spend a lot of time talking about how we frame our lives and how our attitude shapes our children. In one section, they are discussing two different mothers - both of whom have been treated really badly by their Exes and left to raise children alone. One of the mothers is sad and talks a lot about the "tragedy" of their lives [and it was very tragic]. The other mother acknowledges the tragedy, but chooses to frame things positively ["We are a great family!" "Good Things Are Going To Happen To Us!"]. As I was reading the section, I remember being *angry* reading it because they were saying that the first mother was wrong to say the things she did, to frame their lives so negatively, etc. I was thinking "But she's RIGHT! LOOK what her husband did to them!". But as I read what David and Lisa had to say, I gradually realized that they were right - for the sake of the children, a positive mindset was essential.

It was a real turning point for me, and it has been of great benefit to my children - who have come through this amazingly happy and positive, which is astounding under the circumstances.

This whole book is full of absolutely *amazing* advice - as a single parent, you will find every chapter helpful - you will find help you may not even have realized you needed. I truly enjoyed the way they wove the stories of other single parents through the book to illustrate what they were trying to teach - it was very interesting, comforting, and engaging. This book made me feel truly equipped to accomplish the difficult task I have ahead of me - a very welcome thing indeed!

I've read a lot of books on single parenting at this point, and none of them have been as wonderful and helpful as this volume. I highly recommend this book, and I deeply thank the authors for their work - they definitely helped my family!

When my divorce was final 12 years ago, I was left to raise two sons. I felt hopeless and alone (although people reached out to me) and I certainly felt unable to raise two boys. My sons are teens now. "Raising Great Kids" has some of the wisest parenting insights I've found anywhere, for kids of any age but especially for parents of teens or pre-teens. Wow. I wish I'd had this book twelve years ago, but I'm glad I found it now.

Barbara Sheldon, M.S.W.
Currently reading: The Maytrees: A Novel

Single parents seeking to find the answers and guidance to raising great kids can begin with this caring and insightful book with Christian values.

The authors embrace raising great kids with love, patience, understanding, and endurance. To guide you to this end, there are three parts to this easy-to-read-and-understand book.

The three parts are:

Part One: Finding your Way to a New You-Learning to care for yourself.

Much like making sure your oxygen mask is on, in an aircraft emergency, before trying to assist your child with their mask, this chapter focuses on your own faith, health and welfare so you can be there for your kids.

Networking, how to network and with whom, is noted as a mainstay to build your support system. This along with taking care of yourself, according the authors, will put you on solid footing.

Part Two: Helping Your Kids Adjust to Trauma and Change-Learning to Nurture Your Children.

Through the stories of parents who are "making the best of their situation," you'll discover how to communicate with your children, and understand how your children process their grief.

Part Three: Facing The Future-Learning to Manage Your New Life.

Relevant topics surface in this segment. Questions and answers about employment options, continuing education, financial realities, dating and relationships, are all covered with poignant stories from men and women learning to live life alone or with a new mate.

As an useful guide, you'll discover more about yourself and how to stay or become the parent you want to be for your child or children starting right now.

Armchair Interviews says: The husband-and-wife team presents an important message.

I really enjoyed this book. I am two years post-divorce and have two little boys, and I found David and Lisa Frisbie's advice right on the mark. From giving encouragement to single parents to giving guidelines for dating and remarriage, this book really helped me feel better about my single status and more self-confident in my parenting abilities. Kudos to the Frisbies for their dedication to helping us single parents!

This book is an excellent resource for single parents who assumed their new role through choice,death or divorce. There is however, a strong emphasis on divorced single parents and the authors offer people the most help in this area.
Before the issue of parenting is addressed the authors focus on an often overlooked aspect of the new single parent - the need to take care of their own physical health ,including fitness,diet and they even recommend a nap when needed. Permission to nap-what could be better? In this mode of self care they highlight the most significant single issue for divorced people,which is to resolve your feelings about your former spouse in order to prevent the cruel situation which some children must endure -hostile rants by one parent about the other parent they love. In other words,how mature you are as a parent will determine how well adjusted your children will be in the future. If there is only going to be one adult in the home it sure needs to be a grown up one!
Part Two of this invaluable book for single parents addresses helping your children adjust to the changes in their life and how to parent your child at any age. The basic theme of this book is that you need to express your deep love and committment to your children on a regular basis. Everything else builds on this..Another theme is that good parents listen,learn and don't preach. Any parent,single or not, can learn a lot from this section.
There were times in reading this book that I felt that the religious emphasis was misleading. For example,the notion that some people do God's will by not re-marrying and waiting for a former spouse (often long re-married) to return flys in the face of the reality that a marriage contract in every sense is between two people. The section on re-marriage was not strong. The interviews with the single parents who decided not to re-marry until their children were older made it sound like re-marriage is a lot like buying a car. You decide you want one and you go out there to see what is available. Many people who re-marry are not out hunting for a spouse like a car but they are raising their children,working and are open to a someone who makes them want to consider re-marriage. The woman interviewed who had re-married sounded as if she had settled for security and not a deep personal relationship.
All single parents, but especially the divorced,will gain a great deal of insight and practical information from this book. Keep it especially handy during the teenage years!
Jeanne L.Ward Author of YOU'RE IT! SUCCESSFUL SINGLE MOTHERING AFTER DIVORCE

This book is easy to read, clear and practical. Hugely helpful for single parents, I was surprised to find help for single dads here, not just for single moms. BOTH are included; both will find great help in these pages.

I've heard these authors twice now, at seminars in southern California. They're exactly the same in person: clear, down-to-earth, and practical.
They're also funny --- a lot of the humor finds its way into the books.

GREAT book for single parents; really good stuff about raising your teens.

Lauren Hodge
Apple Valley, California

I also highly recommend:
Moving Forward After Divorce: Practical Steps to * Healing Your Hurts * Finding Fresh Perspective * Managing Your New Life

This book, I think, is a must read for any single parent, male or female. It offers very practical advice with plenty of realistic stories and ideas. I'm a single parent and this book brings me much relief in some areas and great advice in others. I've read it over and over. And sometimes if I know I'm struggling with a certain area I can just read the chapter pertaining to that to refresh my memory. Would tell any single parent to read this! LOVE IT!

Enjoyed the book, and was given a pretty good description of the details inside. :)

So many books are targeting single moms right now: Whew! I get exhausted just seeing all the titles. And they're always aimed at the women.

I bought this book because I trust the authors from their other work. What surprised me here was the fact that single dads are not only mentioned, there is some wonderful material on dads raising daughters, dads raising their kids alone, dads deciding to date --- and much more.

Yes, women are included. I didn't analyze it fully but more than half of this book is about single moms --- as it probably should be. What is so refreshing is to find out that single dads are also important --- and well covered here.

This is an extremely readable book! I laughed in places, cried in at least two places (one during a single dad story that broke my heart!) and fully enjoyed the insights and the wisdom in this book. It is EXCELLENT ! ! !

The Frisbies are shining examples of Godly love...they talk the talk, but walk it as well. Wisdom offered in a "no-nonsense" straight forward approach, giving the reader tools on a issue that has relevance and significant importance in today's ever-changing world.