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Very good book. I think I prefer Mrs. Wilson’s writing style to that of her hubands. Of course that may simply be because she’s also and woman and doesn’t seem so abrasive. This is the first book I’ve read about being a mom. I learned *after* being married that I should’ve read some books about being married beforehand, so I decided to get a head start.
Praise Her in the Gates makes being a full time wife and mother seem daunting, but accomplishable with grace and joy if one trusts in the Lord. She gave me some meat to chew upon in her chapters about “Respecting Sons” and “Loving Daughters.” Mrs. Wilson says that both boys and girls need both respect and love, but more emphasis on one or the other depending upon which gender they are. She also has some rather firm ideas about educating our sons with an “out of the home perspective” and our daughters with an “in the home” perspective. I’m not sure I completely agree with the totality of these sentiments: some girls never marry and may have to work for other reasons; some boys become single dads and must run a household too.
I felt as though she let down toward the end of the book. Very specific suggestions and illustrations were given for most of the chapters, but the last two or three chapters seemed almost thrown together. As one of her other books, there was an introductory chapter, but no real concluding chapter which could pull everything back together, so the book simply seems unfinished to me.
This is not to say that I did not enjoy the book, or learn a lot from it (or get a lot of thinking material or kicks in the pants), because I very much did. I thought her chapter on loving kids, and her constant reminders that children are being brought to maturity under our care were excellent. She speaks very carefully about not gossiping or being frightened by old wives’ tales, about not griping and always saying “no,” about having fun and providing a comfortable and beautiful home for your family. All of these points were fleshed out nicely and many scriptural references were provided.
Jennifer, are you still reading Dr. Dobson’s Bringing Up Boys? Is it interesting, worthwhile, etc? Also, what books would mothers out there recommend? What do you wish you had read before you started to have children?