Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I Prayed for You--a kid's book that's almost better for moms!I'll be honest: I don't always enjoy reading to Little Rabbit. Girlfriend likes her books, and I often read the same one over and over and over. (I can recite "Go, Dog, Go" and "Dear Zoo" from memory.) And, while I love that she enjoys it so much, repeatedly reading/reciting the same children's book a thousand times a day is a little mind-numbing. After the dogs get to the party in the tree for the twentieth time, mamma is ready for a glass of wine. But then there's I Prayed for You. I love this book. Not because of the story--though it is pretty sweet--but because of how I experience it as a mom. First, the story: a mamma bear tells her baby bear about all the times she's prayed for him as he grows up. When he was born, the first time he achieved something independently, the first time he got hurt, the day he went off to school... she lets him know that she's always been praying for him and always will pray for him. Isn't that a sweet thing to tell your kids? But here's what I really love: as I read the book, I'm reminded that I don't have to be in control of everything. Raising a little one is stressful in a thousand different ways every single day. It's so easy to try to hold the reigns extra tight and make sure life goes merrily along--but things just don't work that way. Whatever we may think, we are not in control. We can't protect our kids from everything, and we can't always be there to help them make the right decisions. What we can do is entrust their well-being to God. We can teach them to follow him and we can pray for their needs every day. As the story goes along, each page has a short prayer at the bottom--the prayer mamma bear says for her baby. As I read, I tend to linger over those words a little while longer than the others. They become mine. Suddenly, reading the book to Little Rabbit is more than just a bonding experience--it's prayer in and of itself. I find myself praying for my baby girl, who is all kinds of comfy on my lap, and all seems right with the world. To all the mammas out there who worry and stress about their littles: this book is for you. Sure, your kid needs to hear that you're praying for them. But more than that I think you need to be reminded that God is the one in control. He's got you and he's got your little one--all you have to do is let him handle it. Talk to him about the worries that niggle at you and about the hopes that hold you up. Turn to him when you're not sure how to handle something. Let him guide you as a parent, and let him take charge with your little. Pray. That's the best parenting advice I know.