Building Better Families by Matthew Kelly

I don’t often have the opportunity to write a book review.  Probably because I don’t often have a chance to finish a book these days, or take time to reflect when I do.  But Matthew Kelly’s book Building Better Families was one of the first parenting books I have read that I devoured every word and then put it aside to read again.  I still don’t have time to write a good review, but I can tell you a little bit about why I found the book so inspiring.

I believe there is a big difference between raising a child, and raising a child responsibly, and this book really is “a practical guide to raising amazing children”.   It’s often too easy in day-to-day interactions with our children to live and react within the moment, to think not about what we are teaching our children, but about how to quickly defuse the current crisis.  We become the manager of the situation and quickly move on, often failing to think farther ahead and demonstrate the leadership necessary to guide our children into deeper and more meaningful development.  This book walks through the practical ways you can become the leader your children need you to be in order to help them become "the best-version-of-themselves".  It’s no secret that I disagree with much of our culture today.  Parenting is hard when you’re going against the current tide.  But in our fight for a family foundation that supports healthy, positive growth of our child and our own culture within our home, the struggle is worth it.  Still, it’s always encouraging to connect with those who believe in the same values, and it’s inspiring to find a book, like Building Better Families, that you can’t put down because every page has one more little strategy that beautifully compliments the way you choose to parent.

Thank you, Matthew Kelly.