No Longer Little: Parenting Tweens with Grace and Hope Review

Have you ever read a book and so identified with it that you had to just laugh out loud? Has a book ever completely changed your perceptive on life around you or given you a brand new vantage point?  Have you ever considered the pricelessness of a book crafted by someone having dedicated their life to studying and perfecting a certain topic and then written all their wisdom and gleanings into the pages between two binders for your ease and benefit of soaking in it's content like a thirsty sponge soaks up water? I value these books tremendously! Especially when it comes to raising children. But they NEED to be Biblically accurate! And I, personally, value the ones written, not by psychiatrists, doctors, pastors, or teachers, but the one's written by parents. Specifically parents of a large number of children. In my head, they have seen it all, experienced it all, have the scars and battle wounds to prove it, have messed things up a lot, and have successfully accomplished some feats.

No Longer Little Parenting Tweens With Grace and Hope published by Great Waters Press and https://www.raisingrealmen.com is one of the rare books I described above. This book has been like a piece of gold that has been sifted from the bottom of the stream of mainstream (no pun intended) parenting books! Hal and Melanie Young have raised 8 children of their own, 6 boys and 2 girls, and do not shy away from the Biblical concepts laid out in the Scriptures when it comes to raising children. But, what I value most, is they apply those concepts to modern-day child raising.

We are faced with circumstances that our parents and their parents never dreamed of facing! Media, Facebook, pornography, early puberty, an instant-gratification society... it's so different! How does God's Word apply to our kids being raised in this millennia?

This book was one I did NOT want to put down, but made myself take a break throughly digesting each chapter and applying it to my thought process and making changes in my home. As I read these pages, it was like the things Hal and Melanie were describing were unfolding infront of me behind my opened book and opened eyes! Once I was reading where the Young's describe a "tweens" thought process saying, "No one understands me!", "No one loves me!", and, as if it were an audio book I was listening to, one of my oldest girls says these words verbatim in the next room!

This book addresses pretty much every topic that needs to be addressed in our culture today when it comes to tackling challenges that come with the "tween years". As I am just entering this age with my oldest children, I am SO THANKFUL I was able to review this book at this time. I found it so encouraging as I eavesdrop (... you do it to!...) on other parents with kids between 8-15ish going through what this book describes.

Here are some of the topics covered in this book:

• Puberty in boys and girls - physical and emotional changes
• The Emotional Rollercoaster and ways to approach it
• Brains Turn to Mush - in school and in general
• Questioning Faith/Beliefs
• Sex, Porn, Awakening, Virtue 
• Social Struggles, Awkwardness
• Media, Gaming and Discernment
• Conflicts at Home with parents & siblings
• Coming go Age Celebrations
• Work and Stewardship - Producers NOT Consumers
• High school and Beyond

Did I mention this book is Biblically Grounded?!?

In this book, the authors describe these "tween" years with a Biblical definition of "youth" comparing and contrasting what a "youth" looks like in our modern culture and what the Bible describes as "youth". A Biblical view point describes this age group as one who is old enough and mature enough to be married, have children, serve in the military, and even lead churches, yet still covers individuals who still have some growing up to do and have some immaturity. Many scriptures are given and Biblical examples of people called "youths" in the Bible. 

Detailed descriptions are given on what puberty consists of - the physical changes, emotional changes, social struggles, and thought processes going on in our once cheerful, pleasant little boys and girls making them a little more disconnected with reality. Plenty of tangible examples from the Young's household are displayed as well as scriptures and parenting tactics from years of application and wisdom give the reader so much to meditate and chew on. I feel very equipped and have a much better understanding of what's going on in my "tween's" mind and body and how to approach these coming years. I also have hope that they are temporary and will pass as my youth matures into a young man or woman. 

Towards the end of the book is a discussion of having a "Coming of Age" celebration similar to a Jewish Bar Mitzvah, but with a New Testament twist. The basis of this idea is to give the youth a tangible point in time when they enter into a new phase of their life where they can "put childish things away" like Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13. This chapter includes several examples and ideas of what this celebration can consist of from invitations, to projects or assignments, or outing ideas or intimate family settings. Having a Coming of Age Celebration is something my husband and I have been praying about and planning so I was very encouraged to see this chapter in this book.

Another favorite chapter of mine is Media, Gaming, and Discernment. Our children face a culture almost entirely based on internet access and social media. Teaching our children how to navigate media and social websites with discernment and wisdom is the main point the authors make in this chapter. In order to be successful in life today, they're going to NEED to be able to use the internet as well as view YouTube videos or connect via Facebook, so equipping youth with a Biblical filter is crucial and this chapter breaks down how to do that. 

I have no real criticism of this book because I valued the wisdom and Biblical grounding in it so much! 

This is one of those books I am keeping very close to my heart with the very few Biblically grounded parenting books I value. To make it onto this list is a hard feat, but No Longer Little by Hal and Melanie Young as done it and done it well! In fact, as I was reading this book a few of my friends have purchased it and some of the other resources that Hal and Melanie young have to offer on their website https://www.raisingrealmen.com. 

My dad, who has an interest radio program called The Man Up Show, did an interview/review of this book and Hal and Melanie Young's book Love, Honor, and Virtue: Gaining or Regaining a Biblical Attitude Toward Sexuality with my husband and I. You can listen to that here: http://manupshow.org/book-reviews/

You can also read my review of Love, Honor and Virtue here. 

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