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Child rearing for funHome frontCHILD REARING FOR FUN Anne Atkins is probably best known for her plain-speaking and sometimes controversial ‘Thought for the day’ broadcasts on BBC Radio 4. She is an author of several novels and her latest book is written to the ‘amateur parent’. Her emphasis throughout the book is that childrearing is not so much a highly-complicated skill that needs to be learned but rather an instinctive act of love. Anne skilfully uses her plain-speaking approach to challenge the shallowness of the materialistic outlook which too easily holds sway over many parents within our society, instead entreating parents to ‘trust their instincts’ and concentrate on providing children with other, more priceless gifts such as security, joy, etiquette, manners, self discipline and intellectual rigour. The book is divided into three parts and climaxes with the foundational truth that children need to experience the God of love. She urges parents to take the initiative in the Christian instruction of their children rather than simply allowing their children ‘to decide for themselves’. The book misses, I felt, a good opportunity at this point to develop this further and present the essence of the gospel which both child and parent need to hear, understand and respond to. The author refers to and quotes her own five children throughout the book, and uses her experiences of parenting over many years to illustrate her message. This makes the book very accessible and readable and more human than many other parenting books. Her style is forthright at times and this might be a source of irritation to some readers. At times the author is controversial (especially the chapter regarding the role of professionals in helping children with needs), sometimes she is provocative (for example, when she encourages parents to give more freedom to younger children). However, she is often humorous and her writing style makes the book very easy to read. I believe that most parents will greatly enjoy reading this thought-provoking publication (even if they do not agree with everything in it), and I warmly recommend it. Rachel Lawrence, © Evangelicals Now - August 2005 |