trying to raise GEEKS

I have likely read every parenting book out there that expresses some common sense, you know, the ones that were actually written by parents, rather than childless "development experts." My favorite authors are John Rosemond and Ray Guardendi, but Marybeth Hicks has made some outstanding contributions to practical parenting in this wacky world in her new book, Bringing Up GEEKS (Genuine, Enthusiastic, Empowered Kids): how to protect your kid's childhood in a grow-up-too-fast world. She has accomplished with her 4 children what most homeschoolers wish to with their children; raise children who are smart, sheltered, polite, team players, true friends, family oriented, and faithful to God.

While I think she does tend toward the simplistic side, "if you follow your own path rather than following the herd then your kids will automatically turn out great," she shows how the popular culture of childhood has turned out a generation of young adults who don't think, are not kind, don't believe in God, and are materialistic snobs. If we want better for our own children then we must be proactive and raise them differently. We must be counter-cultural.

We homeschoolers are the epitome of this theory, we are striving daily to guide our offspring to treasure those things that will bring us happiness in this world and the next. If you know of a new mom, I can't think of a more useful and generous gift than a copy of this book.