Reviewed by: Tim Pietz, Professional Writing student at Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Introduction

Title: Winning the Heart of Your Child

Author: Mike Berry

Publisher: Baker Books

Publication Date: February 2019

Format: Paperback

Length: 213 pages

OVERVIEW

Maybe you and your spouse just had your first child and you want to give her the world. Maybe you’re the parents of a toddler and an elementary schooler, and you’re navigating the terrors of tantrums. Maybe you have a teenager who no longer seems to care about your opinion, and you’re trying to set boundaries without making him hate you. If any of these parenting situations apply to you, Mike Berry’s latest book brings some valuable advice to the table.

In Winning the Heart of Your Child, Berry pours hope and encouragement from his experiences as the father of eight children (and the foster father of many more). Berry highlights the two primary responsibilities of parenthood: loving and influencing. Some parents, such as Berry’s father, emphasize authority and discipline to the detriment of love. As Berry puts it, “My dad had won every argument, but he had lost my heart” (p. 31). Other parents try to love their children by being their best friend, but this approach strips parents of their authority and ability to guide their children. Over the course of the book, Berry highlights nine keys to building a positive lifelong relationship with your child—even when it seems you’ve lost your influence in your child’s life.

Berry writes with a clear, conversational tone that flows naturally from sentence to sentence. Here and there, he repeats an idea or theme, but overall the book’s structure creates a natural progression from chapter to chapter. He doesn’t talk down to his reader, and he’s willing to showcase his parenting mistakes as something to learn from.

In the end, Berry creates a well-written, heartfelt book filled with practical advice for any parent.

ASSESSMENT

Rating: 5 stars

Suggested Audience

Parents at any stage in the parenting journey

 Christian Impact

Equips parents to love and guide their children

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