From the authors of the popular book The Love Dare comes their newest edition, The Love Dare for Parents. Alex and Stephen Kendrick, both associate pastors at the megachurch Sherwood Baptist in Albany, Georgia, have co-written this book strictly for a Christian audience. It begins with a Bible verse and right away readers know what they’re in for:

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. ―John 15:9, KJV

This book, just published this summer, is all about the love of a parent for his child, and the love of a child for his parent. The Love Dare for Parents is broken up into different chapters, each chapter representing one day.

Every section gives the reader (the parent) a specific “dare” for that day. Some dares are harder than others, some are more emotional than others and some are more interactive than others. Not every dare will win your child’s heart right away, but by the end of the book, the authors guarantee that you will have changed your relationship for the better.

The chapters each begin with a Bible verse, following which is an explanation of how to love and cherish your children and how God fits into your lives. Scripture is scattered within each chapter, which always ends with a dare.

Following the day’s dare, the authors have provided space to check off whether you completed the task or not, and a few blank lines to fill in your experience after completing the dare. The Kendricks pose questions to ask both yourself and your children both during and after the daily dare. The Love Dare for Parents thus is not only a book, but a journal as well.  

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. ―Psalms 127:3-5, KJV

The Bible tells us that children are a gift from God to be cherished. In this book, these words find resonance. Forty chapters and 40 days later, you and your children will have a stronger relationship than when you started.

You, as the parent, will be able to see your children in a different light, regarding then with the love and kindness that they deserve. Whether you have a fantastic relationship with them now or one that needs some work, The Love Dare for Parents will be transformative. So far, it has received rave reviews, just as did its counterpart The Love Dare.  

The first dare simply asks you as the parent to find a time, whether in person or by phone, to tell your child that you love him. Knowing this could be a potentially difficult task, the authors lead up to the dare by asking you to look in on yourself and your current relationship with your child and your home life. They include quotes from the Bible, and insist that a loving relationship between parent and child leads that child to grow up into a successful and intelligent adult.

The journal entry allows space for you to both write about how the dare was completed in addition to answering questions posed by the authors, like “Why are these simple words, though often taken for granted, so very important to say consistently?”

The final dare, on day 40, asks parents to write a “legacy letter” to their children. In this way, parents will be able to tell their children just how loved they are and perhaps even give some advice for them to use when they have children of their own.

The Love Dare for Parents is a book that every Christian parent will be thrilled to both receive and give, and bring parents closer not only to their children but to God as well.