10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting: Nurturing Your Child's Soul (Paperback)

~ (Author), Marsha F. Walch (Author) "Most children have clear ideas and images of God..." (more)
Key Phrases: release the struggle, spiritual parenting, remind your child, Check-in Questions, Family Night, Mother Earth (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This mother-daughter team offers practical advice for parents who wish to bring more spirituality into their parenting as well as their children's day-to-day life. Parents, regardless of whether they belong to an organized religion or not, report that the book has been profoundly inspirational. Each chapter is devoted to 1 of the 10 principles of spiritual parenting and includes ruminations as well as specific suggestions. The writing is fluid, well organized, and filled with respect for parents and their children. In the chapter titled "Create a Flexible Structure," suggestions include: provide daily quiet time, downshift into your child's rhythms rather than always imposing your own, and try not to get caught up in the competitive rush to sign up, join in, and push harder to give your child a leg up on other kids. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly

A mother and daughter team up to show that God is in the details of parenting. Daughter Doe (coauthor of Drawing Angels Near: Children Tell of Angels in Words and Pictures) and mother Walch, a psychotherapist, offer guidelines and suggestions to help parents fan the spark of their children's natural imagination into the flame of spirituality and belief in God. The authors break down the task into 10 chapters ranging from "Know That God Cares for You" and "Trust and Teach That All Life Is Connected and Has a Purpose" to more down-to-earth advice on listening to children and encouraging their dreams. "Use the example of a flashlight beam cutting through the darkness," they advise about achieving goals. Understanding that "joy is the fire of dreams and brings hope," Doe and Walch encourage parents to help kids trust their natural enthusiasm and optimism to help them nurture themselves within moments of private time or in ad hoc family rituals or spontaneous creativity and play. There are exercises and affirmations at the end of each chapter intended to help adults and children experience and understand each principle. Many of the ideas here are worth trying, yet readers who do try to change and expand their family lives may discover that the authors' approach is sentimental and oversimplified. Many good kids balk at talk about God and angels. Honoring our children is an important subject, but just a spoonful of humor would have helped this sugary medicine go down in a more palatable way. First serial to Ladies' Home Journal.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; 1st edition (June 3, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060952415
• ISBN-13: 978-0060952419
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,698 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Guide For Families That Want To Be Close, July 31, 1998

By A Customer

Every chapter of this book leaves you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. The book gives you very good ideas on how to grow closer to your family while developing their spirituality. The ideas for conversations with children were very helpful. This is a book I will enjoy giving to friends, especially new parents. I will also enjoy rereading it when I need a break from my hectic schedule.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderous and Inspiring --I'm Impressed!, April 5, 2000

By	Stacy DeBroff (Chestnut Hill, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This book caught me by surprise, with the warmth that infuses its writing, the penetrating insightfulness of its principles, and the ability to integrate its ideas into the everydayness of life. It elevated my focus from the intensity of life's details to touch base with matters of the heart. I began to reflect with renewed clarity on the sense of family and values that I impart daily to my children ages 5 and 7. While other books out there have tried to copy this message, this book clearly has become the classic in its field. What a tremendous service to us moms!

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children's Spiritual Development - Creating a Better World, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

Giving children the best possible start in life includes fostering their spiritual development. In our fast paced, result-driven world, our emotional and spiritual needs can be overlooked. The principles highlighted in this book give invaluable guidance for parents wishing to assist their children in developing values and coping skills that will take them through the challenges of life.

As a therapist, I am happy to recommend this book to my clients who are parents. The best legacy we can leave to our children is a world that is gentler and more compassionate. The only route is through individual accountability - this book is an instrument to that end.