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X-Plan Parenting: Become Your Child's Ally—A Guide to Raising Strong Kids in a Challenging World
Winner of the Gold Medal for Best Christian Family and Parenting Book of 2020 by the Illumination Book Awards
The creator of the viral parenting concept the “X-Plan” illuminates the importance of awakening your child’s unique strength—while also taking an introspective look at your own life story to become a better parent.
Last year, father and former teacher Bert Fulks’s simple parenting idea went if your teenagers find themselves in a situation where they feel uncomfortable or trapped, they can text a family member an “X.” That family member will then call, giving the teen a way out, while still maintaining their freedom—and no questions will be asked.
Now in X-Plan Parenting, Fulks expands on the how and the why behind his plan, emphasizing the importance of developing trusting relationships with our kids. Drawing on biblical principles, Fulks’s approach illuminates how even though we want the very best for our children, we sometimes parent from a place of brokenness and a desire for control rather than support and encouragement. We focus on our mistakes and painful growing up moments and the things we wish we’d had when we were kids instead of what’s best for our own children right now. This dynamic can pit kids against their parents and create rifts in the relationship.
Fulks advocates for an alliance between children and parents instead of an “us vs. them” mentality. Rather than spending so much time coaxing or battling our kids, Fulks inspires us to work with our kids instead of against them. And rather than trying to right our own past wrongs vicariously through our children, he urges us to recognize where we need healing so we can provide authentic strength to support our kids’ unique journeys.
There is a tender art to disciplining our kids, and X-Plan Parenting serves up laughter and tears, hard questions, and plenty of grace to moms and dads who want their kids to love God and lead passionate, joyful lives in an unpredictable world.
The creator of the viral parenting concept the “X-Plan” illuminates the importance of awakening your child’s unique strength—while also taking an introspective look at your own life story to become a better parent.
Last year, father and former teacher Bert Fulks’s simple parenting idea went if your teenagers find themselves in a situation where they feel uncomfortable or trapped, they can text a family member an “X.” That family member will then call, giving the teen a way out, while still maintaining their freedom—and no questions will be asked.
Now in X-Plan Parenting, Fulks expands on the how and the why behind his plan, emphasizing the importance of developing trusting relationships with our kids. Drawing on biblical principles, Fulks’s approach illuminates how even though we want the very best for our children, we sometimes parent from a place of brokenness and a desire for control rather than support and encouragement. We focus on our mistakes and painful growing up moments and the things we wish we’d had when we were kids instead of what’s best for our own children right now. This dynamic can pit kids against their parents and create rifts in the relationship.
Fulks advocates for an alliance between children and parents instead of an “us vs. them” mentality. Rather than spending so much time coaxing or battling our kids, Fulks inspires us to work with our kids instead of against them. And rather than trying to right our own past wrongs vicariously through our children, he urges us to recognize where we need healing so we can provide authentic strength to support our kids’ unique journeys.
There is a tender art to disciplining our kids, and X-Plan Parenting serves up laughter and tears, hard questions, and plenty of grace to moms and dads who want their kids to love God and lead passionate, joyful lives in an unpredictable world.
- GenresParenting
320 pages, Paperback
Published June 11, 2019
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 26, 2019
Awhile back I read an article about the X-Plan, if your kid gets in a situation and needs a way out, they can text anyone in the family “X” and that person will call them, tell them something has come up and they need to come get them. No questions asked. If you haven’t read that post I encourage you to google it, it will challenge you for sure!
When I saw this book, written by the author of that article, I knew I had to read it.
Friends, you need to read this book! It is absolutely the most real, raw, and challenging parenting book I’ve read. It’s not a manual for how to raise the perfect kid. Instead it’s a challenge on how to team up with God to parent your child so they can become who God created them to be.
Every page challenged me in what I’m currently doing with my kids, as well as forced me to look back at things I went through as a kid to see how that’s effecting me now as their mom.
The world we live in is desperate to control our kids, but if we as parents are desperate to control them too they simply get caught in a tug-o-war of control. That’s not what God has in mind. He came that we might have life and life to the fullest!
Our relationship with our kids needs to point them towards that. This book is a friend coming alongside you encouraging you to do just that.
Get it.
Read it.
Live it.
You’ll be glad you did.
When I saw this book, written by the author of that article, I knew I had to read it.
Friends, you need to read this book! It is absolutely the most real, raw, and challenging parenting book I’ve read. It’s not a manual for how to raise the perfect kid. Instead it’s a challenge on how to team up with God to parent your child so they can become who God created them to be.
Every page challenged me in what I’m currently doing with my kids, as well as forced me to look back at things I went through as a kid to see how that’s effecting me now as their mom.
The world we live in is desperate to control our kids, but if we as parents are desperate to control them too they simply get caught in a tug-o-war of control. That’s not what God has in mind. He came that we might have life and life to the fullest!
Our relationship with our kids needs to point them towards that. This book is a friend coming alongside you encouraging you to do just that.
Get it.
Read it.
Live it.
You’ll be glad you did.
August 27, 2019
The "X-Plan" may sound familiar ... in 2017, Fulks' post went viral, landing him on numerous talk shows and write ups in People, Good Housekeeping, etc. The short version - parents and teen agree that if the teen winds up in a social situation they need out of, they text the letter "X" to their parents, who will call back and make an excuse that the child needs to come home right away, and will go pick them up, no questions asked.
This book includes not only the story behind that, but goes much deeper into how to build a relationship with your children so that trust-level exists in the first place. Written in a very folksy but approachable tone, Fulks recounts stories from both his childhood and his early years of parenting, sharing the lessons learned after reflection and study. He openly shares his regrets and missteps and offers up Scripture to point towards a better way. After finishing it, I feel like I've just spent the evening with him on his porch, having had a wonderful talk. I've been a parent for 18 years, yet I have learned much from his book. Highly recommend!
This book includes not only the story behind that, but goes much deeper into how to build a relationship with your children so that trust-level exists in the first place. Written in a very folksy but approachable tone, Fulks recounts stories from both his childhood and his early years of parenting, sharing the lessons learned after reflection and study. He openly shares his regrets and missteps and offers up Scripture to point towards a better way. After finishing it, I feel like I've just spent the evening with him on his porch, having had a wonderful talk. I've been a parent for 18 years, yet I have learned much from his book. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews