What People Are Saying About Orthodox Christian Parenting
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5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Book on Raising Children!
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is such a nice revision of the previous version, what I lovingly call "The Green Book" It is a great update to the original version with additional pictures and quotes. Highly recommend this book to any parent trying to raise children in the Christian faith, particularly the Orthodox faith.
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Being an adult convert to Orthodox Christianity and a new parent, I was so relieved to find Orthodox Christian Parenting in a local monastery bookstore. The very practical advice and wisdom found in the pages of this book have been a source of comfort and support to me in my role as a parent. It is one of the most important books I have ever read.
Nicholas Hostetter
Branchland, West Virginia
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5.0 out of 5 stars ★★★★★
Great
By Zelimirkaon June 12, 2018
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase Amazon
Great book, much needed!
There are wonderful resources for parents in our contemporary world. This stands out to me because of the clear organization of the phases of family life and the many great quotes from the saints. I've gone to that book many times for personal, pastoral, and speaking reasons and I've always come away encouraged and deeply repentant. This is an excellent compendium of patristic teaching regarding parenting and family life.
Archpriest Noah Bushelli - (Antiochian Archdiocese Director of Home Schooling Department)
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5.0 out of 5 stars ★★★★★
12/30/17 Verified buyer
Right Glory : chronos and kairos
Times and seasons....
This very well made text, printed in the USA, has real value as a reference help and mirror to check ourselves by. The six page index at the start is key. For young couples starting out, frustrated parents of teens leaving for college or grandparents looking to avoid our previous mistakes, this volume’s chronological format is easy to access.
I have to admit, I have NOT read this book straight thru, but it isn’t meant for that. This book has no ‘author’ in the traditional sense. It is a collected witness to experience. The saints, mothers, fathers and holy elders of the Faith speak right along side some very timely and modern witnesses. This will keep the information ever new in its address to the ‘person’. Many of the witnesses included cover topics that are extremely touching, difficult and very hard. Nobody is sugarcoating or sermonizing the day to day realities of repentance, faith and grace. Honest witnesses here.....
Zoe has indeed published a timeless help for those of us called to the mystery of raising children and grandchildren in His Kingdom.
+ Grace & peace to you,
Cyprian
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5.0 out of 5 stars ★★★★★
By Christopher Zettson
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
One of the best books I've ever read!!!
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Just wanted to let you know that I got a copy of your book from the monastery this afternoon and I can't put I down!! Wow!!! God bless you for the hard work you put into this project.
I've already posted it on Facebook and Instagram and am amazed at how parents are for a book like this! I will also be posting a review on my blog. Glory to God!
Your sister in Christ,
Sylvia
Adventures of an Orthodox Mom
www.orthodoxmom.com
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5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on March 28, 2016
Lovely book with Christ's Truth truly encouraged in the home. Lots of practical examples.
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Thank you for the Orthodox parenting book--i have started reading it and i am amazed at the collection of works from all over--priests, laymen, Saints
I am impressed with the book and i am suggesting it to other parents. This book is good for everyone--it has something for parish people and something for Monastery people and even something for non-Orthodox. What a beautiful book!
Fotini
+++copticlaura: Marie from @zoepress1 sent me this little gem from her publishing company... It's like the cliff notes on parenting we all wish we had! Just the right bite size pieces of everything you need to know. My favorite so far is the chapter on starting your kids on confession. It's spot-on!!
5.0 out of 5 stars★★★★★
ByAmazon Customeron March 28, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Lovely book with Christ's Truth truly encouraged in the home. Lots of practical examples.
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Orthodox Christian Parenting is a must-have book for the modern Orthodox family struggling with the issue of how to transmit the beauty and values of our faith to children constantly bombarded with worldly superficial distractions. This is a wonderful collection of articles, impressions, and suggestions from a wide variety of Orthodox sources. The casual reader need not fear being hammered by authoritative directives. The overall tone of this collection is very helpful and nonjudgmental. All phases of family life are covered in this volume, from marriage to sending an adult child out into the world and all the stages of child-rearing in between. I found myself captivated by the descriptions of young parents creatively engaging their young children in the traditions and rituals of of the church and thinking "I wish I had thought of that". One need not agree with every statement included in this volume to be ultimately enlightened and inspired by the rare love expressed here by people who truly believe that children have souls and that parents have spiritual responsibilities.
From Presbytera Juliana Cownie
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Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best, ever!
By Myrtle
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Extremely helpful and inspiring. Really great insight and so readable I could not put it down. There was interest expressed in seeing it in another language. I am tempted to offer to translate it myself for free, it's that good.
From Good Reads:
Feb 22, 2017 Diana Enache rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
June 24, 2016 Αλεξία Παναγέα rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
April 7, 2016 Abouna Samaan rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
Dec 27, 2015 Lisa rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
Sept 12, 2014 Issac Crabtree rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
Jan 14, 2014 Geneva rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
Jan 23, 2015 Maha rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
Aug 25, 2014 Fresh And rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
Aug 04, 2015 Emily rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
July 12, 2013 Crystal rated it it was amazing ★★★★★
Nov 06, 2013 Fr. Ted Bobosh did not like it ★
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From Good Reads:
Linda :
This book was a gift from a dear friend and I found it to be so refreshing and encouraging!
I read the review by another reader [Fr Ted Bobash] saying that the book is fundamentalist, etc. I have to say that I did not find it to be fundamentalist or fear mongering in the least, and I hardly think that being cautious and careful about how one raises one's children necessarily means that one is afraid of the world.
The book provides much good food for thought and can be read in short amounts of time here and there, as one finds the time. I highly, highly recommend it.
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Marie! When your parenting book came out a few years ago and I got it, I wasn't able to read it all right away, and I still haven't fully, but it has been very helpful to me and I wanted to let you know what a blessing it has been to my family! Thank you!
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Her book on Orthodox parenting should be in every home!
I am reading her new book that she has published on Revelation; it is very easy to understand.
Marie will be sending out these wonderful teachings on Revelations and Orthodox parenting on a weekly basis! (contact Marie@zoepress.us if you would like to receive occasional quotes via email/text.)
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Amazon buyer 5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars, September 6, 2014
By angela -
Is a great book
Thank you
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I'm reading your book "Orthodox Christians Parenting" and it's great! I've given it to others for reading. But for the next edition can you add more information about who is writing the text? A few times I'm not sure who is writing, I figured a few times that it was a priest and another time a presbytera by clues in the text. It's just a bit confusing but otherwise it's a great book. Thank you
in Christ
Fr. Radomir
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Thank you Zoe Press for shipping my book order of Orthodox Christian Parenting so quickly! May God bless you for your efforts of putting together such a valuable resource based on the teachings of the Church Fathers in the English language. May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ grant you Paradise! Happy Palm Sunday!
M.S.
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I'm contacting you through your website because Amazon does not allow me to reply to your message, as we recently discovered.
Yes, I received the replacement copy of Orthodox Christian Parenting, which arrived in excellent condition. Initially I was going to contact you to let you know this, but then decided against this because I figured that one more e-mail in your inbox would likely just add to your already busy day.
However, I'm glad to have this opportunity to thank you for the replacement copy as well as your genuine concern & topnotch customer service! I feel as though I am experiencing Christ's love rather that being on the receiving end of sterile corporate e-mail exchange, which is a refreshing change.
I've started reading the book, and its already such a blessing. I'm certainly looking forward to reading it cover-to-cover, and anticipate that it will be informative, encouraging and challenging.
May God grant you many years!
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10 Pack - Orthodox Christian Parenting : Zoe Press Wholesale
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 1, 2014
Fabulous, well written book. We have sold out of copies in our bookstore. Thank you for publishing quality material.
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http://www.freshandfaithful.com/?p=109
Orthodox Christian Parenting Books
Author: Emily September 3, 2014
There is an entire section devoted to parenting books in your local Barnes and Noble. This section is riddled with every different opinion about the best way to parent on topics ranging from potty training to discipline. All of these parenting books forgot the most important part about being a parent: caring for your child’s soul. If most orthodox mothers are anything like me, they would wish that there was a parenting manual for the spiritual aspect of their child. With some research, I found and read a few books that really help.
The first Orthodox parenting book that I like is called Orthodox Christian Parenting Cultivating God’s Creation I love this book because it is more than just one author’s perspective on parenting. It has sections and categories based on different parenting struggles and has advice from priests, nuns, monks, mothers, saints, and church fathers to name a few. Orthodox Christian Parenting is interesting, helpful, easy to read, and has the most comprehensive amount of topics.
There are some books that say things like “help your child love God by teaching them to appreciate the beauty of His creation.” That is great advice, but how exactly do you do that? Walking in Wonder: Nurturing Orthodox Christian Virtues in Your Children by Elizabeth White gives you concrete ways to actually accomplish this. I only see myself actually using one or two strategies from her book, but at least she has a wide range of ideas.
In every Orthodox parenting book that I have read so far, the author has either included an exerpt, referenced, or recommended reading Raising Them Right: A Saint’s Advice on Raising Children by Saint Theophan the Recluse. I will admit that I am only partly through reading this book. It is a little more difficult to read but is quite short and definitely seems worthwhile.
Another book that often comes up when searching for Orthodox parenting books is Close to Home: One Orthodox Mother’s Quest for Patience, Peace and Perseverance by Molly Sabourin. I own the book and have started to read it but it is more of a memoir than a parenting book. It may be helpful and/or encouraging for some to read about the struggles and the life of one Orthodox mother’s perspective but it didn’t interest me.
Of course, any book that you read that helps you to be a better Christian will help you be a better parent. Remember, your children look up to you and will usually want to follow your example so if you are a better Orthodox Christian, then they will try to be a better Orthodox Christian too.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Are there any other books that you have read on the subject? Let us know in the comments below.
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By Michael Barber (somewhere in a red state) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase
Actually using this now for "dating" age kids.
Fantastic book.
Primarily for Orthodox Christian families, but all will find solid resources for raising a family, much of which has been followed for centuries by Christian families. No pop or fad psychology here, this is real world advice.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Healthy Food for Thought, November 22, 2013
By Pamela F. - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: Orthodox Christian Parenting - Cultivating God's Creation (Paperback)
I very much enjoyed this book. I wish I had read it when my children were young, however, it wasn't available then! Orthodox Christian Parenting gives any parent healthy food for thought. It is simple reading and easily understandable, however, with our modern thinking it may be difficult to relate to the wavelength this book is written on. I greatly appreciated its conservative approach and found that it brought to light for me how permeated by ungodly, worldly thinking my own thinking has become. We slip without realizing it! The problems it presents are real. The solutions it presents are loving. If you read the book with an open mind, a clear idea of God's love for us, and an honest assessment of your own parenting (rather than excuses and justifications), you should be able to gain advice that will help you raise godly, Orthodox children who will love Christ and His Church throughout their lives.
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Crystal Roberts rated it 5 of 5 stars - GOOD READS
A fantastic resource! Should be a requirement before conceiving children for all Christian parents. The guidelines set forth in this book challenge and convict the reader to be a better parent and a better Christian. I will be revisiting this book often in the course of my parenting journey.
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Absolutely PERFECT customer service. My order, through no fault of the seller, took the scenic route across the US and took a month to reach me. The seller addressed the situation with unparalleled customer service. Could not ask for better. Would definitely buy from this seller again, and highly recommend.
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From Australia - mom of many - August 2013:
I just wanted to thank you once again for sending the book. I have already gained so much help and wisdom from what I have read so far. I pray you have much success with finding distributors in many countries so that many others can share in the wisdom contained within it. You have done a wonderful job of sourcing and compiling so much on so many topics regarding parenting, many of which are not covered in any other parenting book I have read, even the Catholic or Orthodox ones, let alone general Christian books. Thank you so much for going to the effort of publishing the book. May God by glorified through the work of your hands.
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Amazon - 5 star review
Coming from a worldly upbringing, secular indoctrination through education about what parenting is, the internet advice, the gift of a child came with great fear to me..how am I going to do this the right and Orthodox way?
Being guided by God, as a spiritual infant myself, the task of raising "saints," was met with great anxiety for me.. I knew what I was doing, and what I wanted to do, but going against the grain of everything you know, your family even, boy it made me question myself a thousand times..
This book? how can I adequately describe it..It's like having saints, elders, monks, nuns, priests, priest's wives, Godly families as your family counsel and authority..
Everything I knew in my heart, was put out in words in this book... It finally gave me great confidence and new insight on what I have been doing, and what still needs to be done..
I can't stress this book enough.. It is a must for any Orthodox Christian parent, most especially for those who were never raised with the upbringing of the capital H and capital T of the HOLY TRADITION..
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A monastery in Greece says:
Congratulations for the Orthodox Christian Parenting book and thank you for presenting it to us! It is indeed an essential true Orthodox counsel on the upbringing of children, based on the living experiences and enlightened advice of the Saints and elders of our time. You must have had a very difficult time in searching all the aspects of such a delicate subject (aside from the devil's tricks) [...] We'll recommend it to our friends as well. May God bless your many efforts and trials.
We wish you to produce many more new editions in the future. In our time of confused values and ideals, a good book is in urgent need...
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A.C. says:
This book is amazing! Mrs. Eliades combed through all of our favorite [Saints and] contemporary elders and interwove excerpts from their writings with heartfelt quotations from people of her acquaintance. I'm positively entranced by this compilation! My husband, also!
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ENC, M.D. (Orthodox Christian Psychiatrist):
I must share my joy with you as I begin your book Orthodox Christian Parenting – Cultivation God’s Creation, graced by the comments throughout, and the beautiful painting by David Taylor, emblematic. I have jumped in the middle and found such comfort personally, as well as encouragement professionally. For those new Orthodox Christian moms, of course this will be a remarkable resource, but for those of all ages who were not graced by such parenting, the book itself will be a guide to permit much healing to occur by organizing one's life as you would for a beloved child.
Often I speak with my patients about this, and truly for myself I already received much comfort and many smiles from reading about incense, set meal times, beauty and order in the home, and prayers during chores. I must echo the young woman [page 174] and thank you because "I can just FEEL the sanctity" and the sanctity to come...thanks so much.
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A monk says:
I just finished reading Orthodox Christian Parenting and found it most excellent and needful. Given the unhealthy state of parenting in today's society, I pray many, many people and especially Christians will take the time to read this work. May God bless this ministry and may we see the fruits of true repentance for the sake of our children and the whole world.
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A mom says:
First, I want to let you know how much ___ and I are enjoying your new book - it's impressive. Even though we have been married almost 30 years now and our children are grown (mostly - we still have one in high school), we are learning so much about raising children....and we are learning where we really messed up. We wish you much success with the sale of your book.
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A priest says:
I just received my new book from Zoe Press, and I just simply love this book. There are only a few books that specifically focus on Orthodox Christian parenting, and this lovely book does a wonderful job. Thank you Marie Eliades, may our Lord bless your holy work towards the people of God.
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Faye (mom) says:
Wonderful collection of stories and sayings from the Tradition of the Church's Fathers and Elders and also personal experience from parents and parish priests. Positive, encouraging book for raising children in the Faith in today's world. Covers all aspects of children up-bringing from discipline, teaching the Orthodox Christian Faith, to modesty, exposure to dangers through TV and internet and dating and College years. The book emphasizes the importance of prayer to God Who helps parents. There is something that every parent can find in this book. Easy reading and simple words for the busy parent. Truly a well-written book!!
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M.A. Rahal - mom of many says:
I have been looking for a book just like this one for many years now. As a Christian parent living in this fast paced world you deal with many challenges. It is great to have this practical advice all in one inviting book. So many topics are covered in an easy-to-read format. I find myself going back to this book on a daily basis to get inspiring reminders. The author has included many viewpoints from priests, teachers, moms & dads. My teenage children have also gained insight by reading parts of this book touching upon that age group. If you are looking for some spiritual direction on how to raise your kids, then I highly recommend this book.
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Mariam says:
This book is so wonderful and heartwarming and BEAUTIFUL! It is such a great read to come to at the end of a long hard day raising our children! Sectioned off chapters, various accounts from elder/saints/and everyday people, advice, guidance, and sooo much more! A definite must-have in every Orthodox parents' library!!!
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A priest (dad and grandad) says:
Love the book! Thanks so much. It will be required reading for every catechumen with children.
C. T. says:
I just received my new book and I just love this book. I have been looking for a book like this for a long time! It is so hard trying raise our children in this fast paced world. The book helped me to focus again on the importance what of children need and rather what they want. It's a good wake call for all the parents out there!! Thanks so much for all your hard work in making this book happen!!! I highly recommend this book!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite reference book!
By Alexi R.
Format: Paperback
I have been looking for a book just like this one for many years now. As a Christian parent living in this fast paced world you deal with many challenges. It is great to have this practical advice all in one inviting book. So many topics are covered in an easy-to-read format. I find myself going back to this book on a daily basis to get inspiring reminders. The author has included many viewpoints from priests, teachers, moms & dads. My teenage children have also gained insight by reading parts of this book touching upon that age group. If you are looking for some spiritual direction on how to raise your kids, then I highly recommend this book.
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V. M., a mom, says:
I know that it took you more than five years to put your book together...it took me only 5 days to read it from cover to cover.
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A priest wife mom says:
....love, love, love the book.
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A mom says:
I have been enjoying reading this book and every time I do I discover something new in its pages about my childhood or parenting.
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A mom and grandma says:
The cover is outstanding; I love the watercolor! Congratulate David Taylor on his beautiful artwork! You have truly done an incredible job with the undertaking of this magnificent book! I started reading it last night and M___ read to us on the way to pick up her son from school. E____ is also going to read it. I'll keep you informed as I continue to read! I feel that it will be a must-have for all the Orthodox families! A true blessing for all of us! I needed it 42 years ago; it's never to late for the grandchildren!!!
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BOOK REVIEW
By Archimandrite Alexis (August 2013)
Saint Edward the Martyr Orthodox Brotherhood
Brookwood, England
THE TONE of the following review may appear to be some what negative, so at the outset let me say two things. First, this book is a much needed addition to any Orthodox family library. It contains essential instruction for parenting at a time when even seemingly sincere and serious Orthodox Christians are prepared to follow the ways of the world in the upbringing of their children, and only when it is too late wonder why they are “lost.”
And secondly the publication is strong enough to bear criticism. It is an excellent book - let that be our base line. It is a book which every Orthodox parent of young or teenage children should have, not necessarily to read through (a rather daunting task considering its length), but to dip into frequently, to re-assess whether in the up bringing of their offspring they are indeed “cultivating” them or destroying them spiritually.
One only has to notice the draining away of our young people to appreciate how important a book such as this is. In earlier generations of Orthodox in the Western diaspora, grandparents and parents often identified their Church allegiance so completely with their love of a Mother Country, that their children often felt alienated. They wanted to live in the here and now of the society in which they were growing up, where their friends and peers also lived. Often the older generation simply taught various folk usages and customs, but little of the saving teaching of the Church.
Parents believed that getting them involved in church-centred activities, even if these only superficially touched on what the Church was really about, was sufficient to bind their children into Church-life. But what is the point of carrying a star with a lamp in it at a Christmas party if you do not know what that star represents, or why its prototype was important? Why even be pressed into the choir, if you have no comprehension of the words you are singing? Or serve as an altar-boy, if you are told nothing of the Mystery of the Eucharist, but just when to go out with a candle or move an analoy? Or read in church, perhaps even impressively in a language which even your grandparents do not fully understand, when you have no inkling of prayer? Later come more adult things: concerts, summer camps, balls and the like - deemed good because of some supposed link with a by-gone culture and therefore assumed to be “of the Church.”
Naturally, kids flee. Who, with any spirit, wouldn’t? The more recent immigrants do not appear to regard the culture of their Mother Land with such rose-tinted spectacles - they have lived through Soviet times and the post-Soviet deconstruction. But these fall into an opposite error. They readily adopt the liberal, laissez-faire attitudes of the materialistic West which seduce them. They not only fail to raise their children according to traditional Christian practice, but they do not even bother to find out what that is. They are more interested in seeing them “get on in the world.” Their children too will be lost. This is why a book like the present one is essential reading, but now let me be negative, as I promised at the beginning.
The book has no author because it is in fact an anthology. This has one negative consequence. Some of the pieces are from the writings of Church Fathers and Saints, others are from revered Elders of more modern times, yet others are church ministers and leaders, yet others from private individuals. This means that one cannot give equal credence to all the pieces. A careless reader might thus be led to assume that everything in the book is of equal value; it is not, and care should be taken not only to read the teaching but to assess its spiritual weight. Some, a few, of the contributors, no doubt speaking from their own experiences, seem to mouth the views of the American Moral Majority rather than expressing specifically Orthodox Christian teaching.
A minor quibble too: I found some of the contemporary American jargon a little jarring, although at times it can also help one to “wise up.” The scope of the book is broad: from early infancy to late teens. It not only covers Church-centered aspects, such as how to behave in church, preparing for church, fasting, prayer at home, almsgiving, etc., but also matters which, I suspect, in most “conservative” Orthodox Church instruction classes are never even touched upon, but which young people must needs face: friendships, dating, sexual relations, drugs, homosexuality, internet and television usage. This is excellent, but it does make the book rather cumbersome.
And this is my second negative point. It seems that nowadays people have very short attention spans, even in the generation of those with the responsibility of bringing up children; perhaps a slimmer volume would have reached a wider audience.
That said, if you have a child that you love in the way that you should, obtain this book. Dip into it frequently, learn from it, and give your child a firm spiritual foundation in life. We certainly have it on our bookstall at Brookwood. (England)
A. A.
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REGARDING AN AMAZON REVIEW July 15, 2015: We are posting this one star review because "Tess" got exactly what was important and what we prayed people would take from the book...read her last sentence. Though we would suggest that if she has been reading a lot of parenting books over the years few to none of them were Orthodox Christian books because they just didn't exist, if they did we would not have felt compelled to produce one.
Further, no place in the book was it stated that one "must home school, wear skirts all the time and be a curmudgeon towards other peoples misbehaving children in church" to be a good Orthodox Christian parent. These things come from within "Tess" not our book. We also agree that much of the book is didactic in the most positive meaning of the word; it is instructive, educational, informative and edifying, otherwise why compile a book designed to help parents raise Orthodox Christian children? So, thank you Tess for pointing out what you learned. Though a 1 star says "I hate it." in Amazon language, so that was a bit mean spirited, no?
Her review:
I really wanted to like this book. I've read a lot of parenting books over the years, some good, some not so good, and I've learned that the best way to approach them is to pick out the ideas that work for my family and discard the ones that don't. There are some good parts to this book. The full color printing is pretty. There are a handful of quotes that are meaningful--- some from the Optina Elders. I think the best excerpts in the book are by the recently canonized St. Paisios. There are a number of anonymous anecdotes that are sincere, but come across as clippings from the blog posts of random Orthodox internet moms, which detracts from the quality of the content. Then there are selections that come across as positively didactic and not reflective of the deep spirituality of the Orthodox phromena[sic].
I had to give the book only one star because I would hate for any one to come to this book and be left with the impression that *this* is the truly Orthodox way to parent children. You don't have to homeschool to be a good Orthodox parent, you do not have to wear skirts all of the time because "trousers" are immodest, and there is no defense for the curmudgeons who give parents a hard time if their kids aren't perfect in a church service.
The best advice in the book, in a nutshell? Pray with all of your strength. Take your kids to church, and bring church home with you. Be the person you want your kids to be. And if you have questions, talk about them with someone you trust.
An Amazon customer response to "Tess":
April 24, 2016
D. Kovacs says:
I agree that this reviewer misunderstood the book. For instance -- we know a mom who converted to Orthodoxy after she married an agnostic. He is loving and agrees with raising the kids Orthodox. She works full-time, he is a military reservist and a full-time dad to their little ones. Far from feeling "judged" by this book, she considers it --along with her parish family -- to be the biggest support in raising their children in an Orthodox way of life. She has shared bits from the book with her husband, who agrees with it -- even though he has shown no interest in Orthodoxy for himself. This book is great for ANY Orthodox parent, whatever the situation!