You and your children are bombarded with messaging intended to shape your worldview everywhere you go: media, billboards, classrooms, family gatherings, and even signs in people’s yard. Therefore, christian parents have to decide how they will counter worldly claims with biblical truth for their children.  In “What Do I Say When…? A Parents’ Guide to Navigating Culture Chaos for Children & Teens,” authors Andrew and Christian Walker provide parents of children of all ages with a practical and helpful guide that will better equip you for those conversations. The book does this through helpful summaries on specific topics and age appropriate questions you can use with your children.

One of the book’s strengths is its accessibility. Each chapter provides a rich summary of biblical doctrine on a variety of topics without being overwhelming. Though not comprehensive, each chapter provides a solid overview that will equip parents to discuss various issues with their children. The book is also thought-provoking. I was challenged to make better use of life's little moments to shape my children’s worldview with biblical truth. I believe it will help you in similar ways.

However, what sets this book apart from others is the practical help it provides. There are many resources that provide biblical truth pertinent to specific issues, that challenge parents to discuss them with their children, but lack practical help for those conversations. That is not this book. Each chapter comes with a breakdown of biblical truths and conversation starters tailored to age and maturity level. Parents with very young children can use it to lay a foundation for future conversations. Parents wanting to start those conversations will find in it a help launching point. Meanwhile, those who have been having those conversations but may be stuck will find the help they need to reengage with their kids. It could help grandparents who want to pass along a biblical worldview to their grandchildren. It could even be useful beyond conversations with children, helping you to refine conversations with friends, neighbors, co-workers, family, etc. around difficult topics. The point is, it can help in a variety of scenarios and should not be dismissed as a book that is exclusively for parents with older kids.

Now, that does not mean the book is without issue. One shortcoming is that the authors do not always talk about how the gospel comes to bear on a specific topic. We want to bring our children to think about issues with the gospel in view but the book is inconsistent here. Where they do this, it is quite helpful but this only happens with a handful of issues which is disappointing. I also took issue with Andrew Walker’s approach to political engagement in chapter nine. First, he insisted that neighbor love requires political involvement but this is not commanded in scripture. He also never really defined what he meant by political engagement. Sometimes he made it seem like this is as simple as voting. At other points, he seemed to imply this means greater engagement by running for local office. The lack of clarity here was a miss. 

However, these issues do not diminish the overall helpfulness of the book. It can and will serve you as you seek to be faithful to the things God commands of parents. Remember, it is our God-given responsibility to teach our children biblical truth. We see this in texts like Ephesians 6:3 where fathers are commanded to “bring [their children] up in the discipline and the instruction of the Lord.” This has always been God’s plan for the family (see Deuteronomy 6:7; Psalm 78:4). This book can aid you in that most precious and challenging of work. I hope you will consider using it and be helped in the nurture of your children’s souls.

The book can be purchased on Amazon, Crossway (30% off with a free Crossway+ account), and through our bookstore supplier, 10ofthose ($1 shipping always).

Happy Reading!