Book Drawing!!!! “Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World” by Jill Garner

I’m so excited about featuring this up-dated book by Jill Rigby Garner. She is an expert about raising children. I highly recommend all she offers.

Her latest book is Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World–an inspirational parenting guide that offers practical and positive steps to raising respectful, engaged, and grateful children. From media choices to how to create memorable family bonding times, this book will equip every parent wanting to raise kids who will grow up to become all they are meant to be.

And you could win a free copy in the drawing! Instructions are below

In the meantime, here’s an insightful excerpt from Jill’s book.

Help Your Child Identify their Strengths and Weaknesses

by Jill Garner

It’s not always easy to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of your children. Make an effort in the early years to offer opportunities for exploration of the gifts that God has given your children.

Children can’t always identify their strengths. You must be intentional in looking for opportunities that enable them to find their interests #bookdrawing #parenting @jillrigbygarner https://bit.ly/42kpDAk Click To Tweet

Expand your children’s world as much as possible. The more your children visit museums, the better. We lived in New York City when the boys were four years old. There were days when we stayed in the Metropolitan Museum from opening to closing. My sons have an appreciation of art that far exceeds most of my friends’ interest or knowledge.
Expose them to good books. Read a long classic, little by little, to your children when they are young. You’ll fill their minds with possibilities and dreams of other places.
Read them biographies of people from many walks of life, from great artists to statesmen to missionaries to military generals; folks that made a difference in their fields and in the world.
Spend time in the great outdoors. Watch how your children react. Are they comfortable sleeping under the stars or fearful? Are they at home with the sounds of the woods or ready to go home as soon as you get there?

Encourage your kids to get a taste of many different activities before they settle into one or two. It’s okay for elementary-school children to try all the sports their school offers or to try playing a variety of musical instruments. Once they reach fourth or fifth grade, they begin to zero in on their areas of greatest interest. Then it’s time to settle on one or two activities per school year.
Involve them in craft activities and art projects. Such activities will reveal any hidden artistic talent. Does your child enjoy the easy projects, or does she prefer a challenge? Does she become easily frustrated, or does she have an abundance of patience to complete a project?
Support their interests. If your child enjoys art, set up an art corner in your home to encourage the budding artist. If your child enjoys nature, enroll him in programs that offer outdoor activities.As you provide your kids with opportunities like the ones above, look for a pattern to emerge. What kinds of things is each child interested in? In what areas does each excel? What things give each child joy?

Although it is never a good idea to compare your children, looking at their differences can reveal their individual strengths. I was blessed with an ongoing study in my home through my identical twin sons. It was fascinating to watch Chad’s leadership skills, as he tended to overpower Boyce much of the time. Boyce, on the other hand, displayed the qualities of a good negotiator, as he was willing to compromise for the sake of peace. Chad had a strong eye for color and proportion along with a keen mathematical sense. Boyce was a highly creative thinker and problem solver.

Because I had observed these qualities in my sons, I steered Chad toward architecture, which would allow him to use his sense of design and analysis. I encouraged Boyce to pursue entrepreneurship, so he could enjoy his gift of creative thinking.

So what fields did they choose in college? Chad earned a degree in economics and obtained a commercial real-estate license. Boyce earned a business degree in entrepreneurship. Good matches for both.

God has blessed your kids with specific talents and gifts to fulfill a specific purpose. When you help them identify those talents, you help them find their purpose.

Thank you, Jill, for giving us wisdom from from your book.

For my readers, enter the book drawing for the opportunity to win a copy of Jill’s book by making a comment on this blog post. The drawing is open to any with a US mailing address. The drawing ends Wednesday evening, February 7th, 2024.

Jill Rigby Garner

Jill Garner is the founder and chief visionary officer of Manners of the Heart, a nonprofit seeking to reawaken respect in our society for the sake of the next generation. With more than twenty years of interdisciplinary study and hands-on work with schools and families, Jill is a recognized authority in Heart Education and the publisher of Heart Education curricula for children, educators, and parents. She is the author of two parenting books, Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World and the Gold Mom’s Choice Award-winning Raising Respectful Children in a Self-Absorbed World. Her third parenting book, StrongHeart: Cultivating Humility, Respect, and Resiliency in Your Child, is due out in 2024 with Moody Publishers