Raising Confident Kids in a Confusing World

Abbey Wedgeworth

This book offers parents a perfect (and rare) combination of biblical philosophy and present day practicality. Ed Drew relays the truth of Scripture in a way that filled my heart with affection for Christ, compassion for my children and gratitude for my own identity. He addresses the issues facing today’s kids with specificity, delicacy, courage and confidence, and he has left me feeling equipped to do the same. I laughed, cried, and whispered sincere thank-yous as I read. Words from this book are already taped to my mirror, shaping my responses to my kids and permeating my conversations with friends. I will return to its wisdom again and again.

Jen Oshman

It’s been said that parenthood is sanctifying. I would add that it is also often downright paralyzing. Of course, it’s one of life’s greatest joys too. We who are parents and also Christ-followers want to get it just right. Ed Drew writes as a friend, a fellow parent and an experienced youth minister, who clearly loves Jesus and loves kids. This book is chock-full of anecdotes and practical ideas, of Scripture and reminders of God’s character, and of grace and truth. I’m so glad to have read it, and I heartily recommend it to all parents and anyone who loves children and teens.

“Disciple with Confidence”

{See the full post here: https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/raising-confident-kids-in-a-confusing-world-book-review}

In a cultural environment that’s evolving faster than light-speed, the weight of parenthood is overwhelming. It’s not merely the hip new slang to learn, but clearly and confidently answering the deeper existential questions about our identity and purpose.

There’s a rivalry for our children’s attention and formation from the world around us. Movies, video games, books, social media, and education systems clamour for position to make the most of their influence. As parents, we want to be proactive in shaping our children's worldview and not leave it to the last minute. If we do, we’re cast among the restless, noisy crowd of sources.

Ed Drew's book, Raising Confident Kids in a Confusing World, is a valuable resource that can guide us.

This book helps you, the parent, understand your identity in Christ, then in turn teach your children. The author shows you how gospel truths shape your parenting, equipping you to lead your children confidently in who they are in Christ.

The author weaves in stories with biblical examples of how the believer’s identity is found in Christ. You’ll find 4 questions for reflection at the end of each chapter to help you process the material.

This book is best suited for parents of younger - middle years children, although any stage would benefit, particularly if you’re beginning your parenting journey, to help give you a firm foundation of the gospel and how to instill a biblically faithful mindset for your young ones.

*A big thanks to The Good Book Company for the complimentary copy of the book and the opportunity to post an honest review!

“Wish the second half was as good as the first.”

Funny, relatable, and encouraging. While I didn’t agree with everything the author said, and would’ve liked more clarification on a few points, overall it was a good read. The first half was actually quite excellent. Great practical advice for parents from a Biblical standpoint. I wish the second half of the book was as good as the first.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
Pg 37 …our greatest aim and highest ambition for our kids must not be that they be well-behaved, well-liked, or well-educated, but that, by faith in Jesus, they be children of God.

Pg 57 And that means our kids need to have a sense that they are sinners, but they also need to know that grace is always available, always triumphs, and always brings a joy that cannot be found anywhere else.

Pg 68 These moments are not simply irritations that disrupt my life (though they do). These are opportunities when God is calling us to something bigger than our own comfort. These are the moments when God calls us to love our children and not give in to the quick (shouted, angry, impatient) solutions but rather to address the sin as sin and point them towards restoration and forgiveness and a fresh start.

Pg 75 So our parenting needs to focus on the heart, not on the behavior. This may sound obvious, but it is harder, it is more frustrating, and it required deliberate effort. We will always tend towards modifying our kids’ behavior rather than helping them think about their heart.

Pg 157 In God we have a rock—and unshifting solid and secure foundation on which to build our lives. Every storm and turbulence in our children’s lives is an opportunity to invite them to stand on the rock next to us.

Pg 158 Leaving our children to discern their identity from their inner selves is to leave them in a situation that is unsayable, uncertain and even arbitrary. We need instead to show them who God says they are, how God has made them, and who God calls them to become.

“Helpful and Non-Prescriptive”

In this parenting book, Ed Drew shares insights from the Bible and from his personal experiences, highlighting ways that parents can help their kids thrive by instilling confidence in them and helping them ground their identity in Christ, rather than in fleeting measures of popularity or success. Drew writes in an engaging, down-to-earth style, and he shares personal stories without sharing too many details about his kids.

Drew emphasizes the importance of developing a grace-based family culture, and he writes about a variety of different issues, such as kids struggling with friendships, feeling socially isolated, and needing the influence of adults outside of their family. Instead of giving a list of things to do or a list of conversations to have, Drew helps parents think through ways that they can create positive family cultures and have pathways of communication with their kids as they get older. I particularly appreciated the chapter about how parents can help their children navigate suffering, since so many resources neglect this issue.

Drew also address some tough issues towards the end. He discusses the impact of body image struggles on both girls and boys, and there are also chapters on sexuality and gender. Those chapters are too short and simple to engage with all angles of the debate or different questions that arise, but they will help Christian parents think through how to approach these conversations in calm and assured ways, instead of being reactionary.

Overall, this is a helpful guide that will appeal to Christian parents who want encouragement and wisdom for building their children's confidence and resilience. It's best for parents of younger kids, although the general principles apply throughout the lifespan, and people who are tired of parenting books with authoritative, fear-based messages will appreciate this book's non-prescriptive approach.

Note: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Excellent both spiritually & practically”

As a children’s pastor I found this book useful, both spiritually and practically on how to talk to children and parents about current world trends. I will be recommending it all the parents in my church.

“Helpful and Gospel-Centered Resource”

Identity is the headline of the era. Kids have always struggled with finding their identity, but today's culture has some new challenges and pressures when it comes to figuring that out.

It's our job as parents to teach our kids the truth about who they are in a world that tries to tell them the burden is on them to construct an acceptable identity. This book is an excellent resource for anyone who is raising or influencing kids.

First covering the Gospel and the sin in our hearts that we need to be saved from, and then moving onto topics like friendship, sex, marriage, and gender, Ed Drew walks us through how to love our kids in truth and point them to Christ.

In addition to the chapter discussion questions and all the free resources at their Faith In Kids website, this is a great book to have on hand as you navigate the turbulent seas our children must walk through with our help.

Identity is too important to ignore and I would recommend this book to get you started.

“Superb Resource for Parents Seeking to Teach Their Children to Rely on Their God-Given Identity”

In my opinion, Ed Drew is one of the best authors and speakers at the moment for parenting resources for those seeking to teach Christian doctrine to their children in an accessible and timely way. The Faith in Kids new series about identity is a superb way to teach children about their God-given identity as children of God, those in Christ. This new book by Ed Drew, aimed at equipping parents, is just fantastic. It's got a good level of depth while remaining accessible, whether you've read a lot of Christian books or if this is your first. In a confusing world where so many ideas and worldviews will try to claim superiority and moral acceptance, we need to share the goodness and truth of the gospel. We need our children to understand that they can be confident in their identity, regardless of the cost, because it is incomparably good.

“Helps establish parenting perspective through the lens of the Gospel”

This book provides a great framework for grounding your kids identity in Christ. It touches on many topics that can skew our understanding of ourselves and God. The book gave a great explanation of why we want to continually have these conversations with our kids and how to begin. I would have appreciated a bit of a deeper dive on gender given that these identity issues are on the rise while also being something most older generations (parents) have not dealt with personally, but I also understand that wasn’t the solo goal of this book. I think the author did a great job of explaining each identity foundation while also pointing parents back to open conversations with their children and God. I especially appreciated the call to have faith and trust that our God is faithful and powerful over all things.

“Timely and timeless book on parenting”

Raising Confident Kids in a Confusing World by Ed Drew is a new release from @thegoodbookcompanyusa. Drew is the Director of @faithinkids, which exists to help parents and churches raise children together to trust in Christ. And this book certainly helps in that endeavor! Drew has written a book to help Christian parents remember their own identity in Christ in order to guide their kids toward a confident trust in the God who made them who they are. Parents are exhorted to yearn for their child(ren)’s salvation as our main ambition. Drew also provides practical ways to converse with our kids about truth while navigating our confusing world that celebrates sin and following one’s heart, covering topics relevant to younger children and teenagers alike: finding one’s identity in Christ; establishing godly habits; understanding puberty and the maturation process; and dealing with friendships, sex, marriage, and gender identity. This is both a timely and timeless resource for parents who aim to help their kids walk toward an eternal home with confidence. •••

Drew writes, “Your family culture can increasingly reflect Jesus' lordship over you. Your parenting can increasingly reflect the Shepherd's love for you. This is a confusing world, for kids and for their parents. There's nothing like parenting to humble us. But that's ok—in Jesus, we have everything we need to raise confident kids. Keep going. He has you. You are his. This is who you are.”