Unselfish Children...

"...Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:1-2

So, my mother-in-law told me about this wonderful book and if you know me, I'm a sucker for a good book, so I went out and got it. It's called "Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World" by Jill Rigby and it's WONDERFUL. I think every parent should have to read it. There are some amazing facts/statistics in this book that astonished me such as:
- "Companies are designing charge cards for kids, such as the recently announced 'Hello Kitty' debit card with a target audience of ten to fourteen-year- olds." (SCARY!)
- "Fourteen million households own four or more televisions. Americans spend more to power home audio and video equipment that's turned 'off' but still plugged in than they do to power such devices while actually in use."


We WANT, we WANT, we WANT!!! Our kids are buying into this mentality at such young ages these days. If they don't have the latest and greatest "thing" for Christmas, they get upset.

It's been interesting to see how different schools (one local one in particular) promote themselves in ways of advertising and the pamphlets they create talking about a child's SELF-ESTEEM. "Jesus says that the opposite of high self-esteem ('those who exalt themselves') is humility ('will be humbled'), and He makes it as clear as clear can be that high self-esteem, the UPLIFTING OF SELF, is not the ideal. In the Sermon on the Mount, he blesses the meek, the poor in spirit, and those who mourn. The higher one's self-esteem, the lower one's self-control; the highter one's opinion of oneself, the lower one's respect for others."

This book is absolutely amazing and it ties everything in Biblically. I personally, like to write down the verses and keep them in my Bible or post them around my house to remind myself to serve others and not myself. It gives great examples, stories and situations and shows the everyday, average parent how to resolve situations of selfishness in the home and in the hearts of our children, no matter how big or small they may be. It gives a large list of ideas on things you can do to promote an unselfish attitude in yourself and others in your family (activities, outings, etc.). I highly reccomend it and just so you know, there are other books in the "series" (it's not really a series though). I'll have to find the names of them. So, go out and get this book, or better yet, find some friends who will pitch in together for the book and take turns reading it, annotating it (mark up your book with notes and highlights...I ALWAYS do this-visual learner!) and discussing it when everyone is done. Happy reading!!!