Parenting Ahead: Preparing Now For the Teen Years

Parenting Ahead helps parents with younger children build a foundation for their family based on biblical principles for the teen years to come. Readers will learn to practice redemptive parenting where their children grow to see the world through a gospel lens based on biblical truth. 

As parents of young children anticipate the teen years, counselor Kristen Hatton helps them lay the groundwork so that having honest conversations, setting reasonable limits, and exploring issues of the heart will prepare them and their children for the next stage. Hatton helps moms and dads make the connection between their current parenting and future outcomes. By evaluating their parenting, they will see where their own fears, desires, and insecurities lie and how to pivot to practices of faith and trust in God.      

Proactive, long-haul parenting will help parents and children be better prepared for engaging in the realities of peer pressure, decision-making, and recognizing the connection between behavior and the heart.   

• Evaluate your parenting style to identify whether you are under- or over-parenting. 
• Discover practical strategies for redemptive parenting and living out the gospel of grace in your home.    
• Encouragement to take wise, faithful steps while depending on God’s grace for parenting mistakes and failures.   

160 pages.

“Parenting Ahead is a gift to parents faced with raising kids in the current crazy culture. This book does much more than provide parenting techniques—it will help you understand the heart motivations behind what you and your children do. Hatton accomplishes this by providing a scriptural doorway through which to encourage, strengthen, and challenge parents. Parenting Ahead is not just a book to read and stick on a shelf—this is one of those books you read and then purpose to do!”
Marty Machowski, Family Pastor; author of The Ology, God Made Boys and Girls, Parenting First Aid,and other gospel-centered resources for church and home

“With the wisdom and compassion of someone who has been there, and the candor of someone who trusts Christ's grace for her mistakes, Kristen speaks gospel good news to ears ringing from toddler tantrums, inviting them to trade the tactics they use to make it to bedtime for grace and intentionality, cultivating connection instead of choosing convenience, and laying the foundation we need to parent our toddlers as well as our teens.”
Abbey Wedgeworth, Mom of three (loud) little boys; author of Held and the Training Young Hearts children's book series

“As we navigate a complicated time in our world, parents need wise guides and trusted voices offering help and hope for the journey. Kristen brings the experience of a seasoned parent and the wisdom of a trusted counselor to this book. It is a needed resource.” 
David Thomas, Therapist; bestselling author ofRaising Emotionally Strong Boys andAre My Kids on Track?