THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. It gave me a renewed confidence in God's mission for me as a parent. It is the most Biblically sound parenting book I have ever read.
I am an information junkie, and have spent most of my parenting years devouring information on the best way to raise my children. What ultimately happens to someone who reads and tried to apply information is that much parenting advice is someone's opinion or experience, particular to their child or someone they know. It is impossible to combine those opinions about other children into a parenting philosophy for mine!
"Parenting is Your Highest Calling" is unique for one reason: Ms Fields seeks to honor and glorify the first Father in her own life, which in turn leads her to trust Him fully in parenting her children. It sounds so simple, but we baby boomers grew up in a culture of self-sufficiency, and we want so much to be the best parents WE can be, as we forget that we are called to be the best parents God can MAKE us. That can only happen as we lean completely on Him.
The book does not rely on Ms Fields' expertise: she refers us to God's holy and inerrant Word over and over! What she does so beautifully is to integrate what God says into personal stories of her own and others as we all struggle to parent well. Every page of this book has something Biblical to offer a parent, whether you are successful or struggling. Because if you are currently successful, get ready: there's a struggle coming.
This book will free you from doubting yourself and your decisions to parent as God intends: at peace in knowing the HE is sovereign, and will guide us as we parent. It has freed me to love my children more completely, as I prayerfully commit them (and me) each day to His wisdom.

I loved this book and appreciated the grace and freedom it offers parents. A must-read for parents.

I might not have picked this up if it weren't written by a friend/Mama, PhD: Women Write About Motherhood and Academic Life contributor, the brilliant Leslie Leyland Fields. I was never much into parenting/advice books even in the confusing early days of parenting. But, Leslie's an honest and smart writer, and so I couldn't resist checking this out. Her book offers common sense words of wisdom and a refreshingly feminist perspective on parenting for those at any stage of the journey. I'm very happy to have read this book, and recommend it highly.

As soon as I received this book I had to start reading Myth 3 - Parenting Is Your Highest Calling. This was contrary to the vocal opinions of so many of my friends as I raised my sons. I never bought into this myth, but remained silent so that I would not be viewed with disrespect and my sons with pity.

Leslie says, "Our greatest and most constant temptation as parents is to unseat the Sovereign from his throne and replace him with our family." YES! Even though my sons are now adults (and none the worse for not receiving 100% of my attention and energies), I now feel vindicated because of Leslie's chapter. I plan to get this book into the hands of my friends who are young parents so that maybe they can avoid some of the guilt and stress that our culture sends their way.

This is the first parenting book I have read in a while. Quite often
they include theories and expectations that I feel are
unattainable or inappropriate for me and my family's situation,
but this book is different. I really appreciate how Leslie
infuses her writing with Scripture and biblical illustrations
as well as drawing from other sources when appropriate. I
heartily recommend this encouraging book!

Are there any of us as parents who haven't questioned our own abilities and methods? How come the "how to" books don't seem to work for me? Leslie Leyland Fields provides insight into the uniqueness of every parent/child relationship. Be free to be the parent you were designed to be and let your child be the person they were designed to be. This book will help. I strongly recommend this book to all parents. Stop worrying and start parenting with confidence.

I can sum up Lesie Leyland Fields' book, Parenting Is Your Highest Calling in one word, honesty. Leslie doesn't claim to know it all as she honestly shares the trials and tribulations of parenting her own six children. She holds nothing back as she recounts the areas in which she struggles as well as where she feels she's succeded. She shows us that we don't need to feel guilty about our parenting skills. Most importantly, Leslie directs us to our Heavenly Father as the ultimate authority on parenting.

The questions at the end of each chapter are challenging and thought provoking. This book is an excellent resource for Bible study groups or those wishing to study on their own. Leslie backs up her ideas with scripture verses with which we are all familiar and dispels the myths that hold us back as parents. I Enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to parents with children of all ages. Every parent-to-be should read this book.

Hilarious at times, but always honest, Parenting Is Your Highest Calling" addresses directly the challenges of parenting. Leslie Leyland Fields acknowledges what hard work raising children really is and how complicated the task of parenting can be. There are no easy answers and I'm relieved that she does not pepper these pages with pat formulas. She speaks from her olwn life and draws upon examples of other "real" people from the real world: friends and acquaintances who serve as examples of parents who break some of those threadbare myths I've been laboring beneath. But she also draws upon examples of faithful, daring parenting from scripture and I appreciate this balance between "old" and "new" and her careful and honest examination of her own life. Ultimately, I found this book illuminating and liberating. I highly recommend this book.
Gina Ochsner