I love the Training Young Hearts series for kids. These are concrete, practical, gospel-centered books that will help young children make meaningful connections.
-David Thomas
Therapist and best-selling author of Raising Emotionally Strong Boys and Are My Kids on Track?
Training Young Hearts
Board Books
These books are designed to equip parents and caregivers not only to respond to developmentally normal negative behaviors in a way that is proactive instead of reactive, but also to equip them to rehearse the truth of the gospel with their children early and often!
The Story Behind the Series
I love using what I like to call “Training Refrains” with my kids. These are repeated words and rituals that we employ consistently to help me to be proactive instead of reactive, and help them to remember what is right. his series was born out of the refrain we use in response to hitting and biting.
I wanted to not only teach my kids the right and wrong way to use their hands (although that is important), but also to show them that in Christ, they have not only a perfect example, they have a perfect Savior—someone to run to for forgiveness when they do wrong and for help when they want to be better. I wanted my kids to understand that Jesus was a child just like them—that he lived the life they couldn’t, died so they could be forgiven, and was raised in order that they could become like him. As parents and caregivers read these books outside of discipline moments, they’ll establish a framework to reference during moments of discipline. I hope these books will serve your families, communities, and followers well.
The Purpose of the Series
The lift-the-flap board books in the Training Young Hearts series serve as engaging training tools that not only hold out examples of how our bodies should and shouldn’t be used, but also offer a framework for introducing the concepts of repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, and sanctification. Parents and caregivers can refer back to these resources when specific behaviors like biting, hitting, snatching need correcting. Children will be encouraged not only to follow Jesus as their example, but also to look to him for forgiveness when they fail and help when they long to be better. They’ll be reassured of his love for us even when we fail and be comforted by the Holy Spirit’s power to help us.
The Books in the Series
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This helpful and engaging training tool will help parents to teach their kids that God didn’t make their mouths for behaviors like biting, using unkind words, or lying, but for positive actions like giving kisses, chewing, singing, asking for forgiveness, and telling the truth. They’ll be encouraged to use their mouths to ask for help from the Holy Spirit to obey God’s commands!
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This helpful and engaging training tool will help parents to teach their kids that God didn’t make their hands for behaviors like snatching, pushing, or hitting but for positive actions like waving, clapping, praying, high-fiving, helping, and serving. Kids will be encouraged to fold their hands to ask for forgiveness when they fail, and to open their hands to ask for help to honor God when they’re tempted.
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This helpful and engaging training tool will help parents to teach their kids that God didn’t make their ears so that they could ignore instructions, but for positive things like hearing all kinds of noises and sounds, and especially to hear and obey God's word. Kids will be encouraged that God hears them when they ask for both forgiveness for what they do wrong and when they ask for help to obey!
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This helpful and engaging training tool will help parents to teach their kids that God didn’t make their eyes to look down on others, but for positive things like watching, blinking, squinting, seeing the feelings of others, and winking. Kids will be encouraged to close their eyes and ask for forgiveness when they fail, and lift their eyes to ask the Holy Spirit for help when they are tempted.
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This helpful and engaging training tool will help parents to teach their kids that God didn’t make their feet for behaviors like kicking, running from trusted caregivers, or stomping in disrespect, but for positive actions like giving jumping, dancing, and running to God for forgiveness. They’ll be encouraged to use their feet to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, with the help of his Holy Spirit!
