Any Info on "Raising Kids God's Way"?

[attachedmomtofour]

It has been forever since I posted on this board, but I find myself need your help. We attend a fantastic non-denominational Christian church. DH and I love it. They are offering a 16 week parenting series called "Raising Kids God's Way" by - you guessed it - the Ezzo's. DH really wants to take the class because as relatively new believes we are struggling with the day-to-day how to's of raising Godly kids. I am struggling with the fact that it is Ezzo's material. I've emailed the couple who runs the class and have been honest in my hesitatation about the materials.

Does anyone here have any experience with this curriculum? I'm spending time in prayer about it now, but am also interested in what you all have to offer.

Thanks!

[mom2jolakeil]

Check out http://ezzo.info That will get you started :) You're right to be concerned.

[Aisling]

if you want, I can pm you a copy of an email I just sent someone concerning both the ministry and their teachings. :)

[katiekind]

There is a lot of far better, more well-rounded material out there to encourage parents. http://www.ezzo.info has a lot of links to critiques, and I hope it will help you.

If you're thinking mainly about raising godly children, the Ezzo's class doesn't really get into how to share your faith with your children, activities for teaching them key Christian concepts, building them up in the faith, ideas for family devotions and family prayer and service projects and so on. (Is that what you mean by godly?)

[jacksonwifey]

i checked out the ezzoinfo.com and read the part where it talks about the ezzotruth web site. "an open letter about the Ezzotruth site" i thought that nothing it said was factual it was based on opinions. It used phrases such as "conciser ezzo's claims on such and such are believeable". It doesn't matter if you think they are believable are the true or not? the web site also made it seem like Ezzo was lying because he claimed that Christians have altered the truth about his teachings. Christians can lie and they do. thank God we can repent and he forgives us.

[Maggie]

If it is Growing Kids God's Way, which it sounds like it is, I would highly recommend *not* taking the course. As Kathy (KatieKind) said, it's not about raising your children in the faith; it's all about Gary Ezzo's way of parenting, very damaging to families, IMO. Keep reading on ezzo.info. Hopefully, you can find another class that will build up your family! :heart

[arymanth]

i checked out the ezzoinfo.com and read the part where it talks about the ezzotruth web site. "an open letter about the Ezzotruth site" i thought that nothing it said was factual it was based on opinions. It used phrases such as "conciser ezzo's claims on such and such are believeable". It doesn't matter if you think they are believable are the true or not?

This "open letter" is in response to what Ezzo has said about people who disagree with his teachings. The reason it says "consider whether these claims are believeable" is because you have to decide who you are going to believe. Is Ezzo telling the truth, or are the claims against him true? How can a person decide? They give you information to consider so you can come to your own conclusions. It lists many sources of information, and asks you to consider why so many prominent, respected people would lie about Ezzo? (ie. Focus on the Family, AAP, other doctors and ministers, his home churches, etc.)

the web site also made it seem like Ezzo was lying because he claimed that Christians have altered the truth about his teachings. Christians can lie and they do. thank God we can repent and he forgives us.

Again, you have to consider the sources and decide for yourself who has more to gain from lying, and who is the more reliable. Ezzo has been under church discipline more than once and never repented. He has given dangerous and potentially harmful parenting advice and never repented or admitted that he was ever wrong. If you look at his theological teachings, you can decide for yourself if you believe them to be sound or unsound. Look at the fact that whenever he is questioned he attacks the person and tries to discredit them. (what does that say about his character, and do you really want to learn about parenting and teaching your child "character" from someone who behaves this way? Just how good could these teachings be? Consider the source...)

Have you read the rest of the Ezzo.info website? There is a great deal of very specific information there, as well as the "Voices of Experience", stories by people who have actually used the materials and how their families were effected by them.

I never used the materials myself, but I went to a church where many families did and I have taken the time to study them so I would know exactly what they taught. They are not "character building", they are controlling and behavioralistic methods designed to make a child more convenient. In my experience, his teachings can be very divisive, splitting churches into "Ezzo parents" and "less spiritual parents". This is encouraged by his teachings, telling parents not to let their children associate with families who are not "growing kids God's Way" and only to fellowship with "like-minded" families. (other Ezzo families) The materials put down any form of "attachment parenting" as being "less spiritual" and can cause parents to look down on families who do not follow the program. (specifically targeting things like using slings, not CIO, nursing on demand, etc.)

Ezzo isn't about raising "Godly" kids, he's about making yourself look good and having convenient kids. He says so in the introduction to his book... people will come up and compliment you on how wonderful your kids are. You won't have any of the problems other less-spiritual parents have (ie, your kids will be "easy") and you will be doing things "God's Way" and thereby earn bonus spiritual Brownie points with God for being such wonderful parents. By always putting yourself first, you will teach your child to put themselves last. (not like those child-centered families) By punishing them immediately for every "sin", you will somehow teach them about God's grace. (First Time Obedience) Cleanliness really is next to godliness (high chair manners) and shyness is actually a sin. Don't pick up your child when they cry, because God did not respond to Jesus when he cried out on the cross... he must have been teaching him to "self soothe". Yep, these are all in the books.... just phrased differently to make them sound more spiritual.

I suggest reading everything you can at Ezzo.info... there is a lot there.

Hope this helped.

Stephanie
mom to six sensational kids!

[attachedmomtofour]

There is a lot of far better, more well-rounded material out there to encourage parents. http://www.ezzo.info has a lot of links to critiques, and I hope it will help you.

If you're thinking mainly about raising godly children, the Ezzo's class doesn't really get into how to share your faith with your children, activities for teaching them key Christian concepts, building them up in the faith, ideas for family devotions and family prayer and service projects and so on. (Is that what you mean by godly?)


This is exactly what I'm looking for...if Ezzo's class doesn't provide that info, then I'm not interested. There are just warning bells going off in my head about the course.

Thank you everyone! I'm going to pray about it some more, but I figure there must be hesitation on my part for a reason.

[2ds1dd]

As I said in another thread ... Neither Ezzo nor Pearl have ANY sort of degree to back up what they are teaching. IMO definitly something to consider.

[katiekind]

My kids are past that age, but I've noticed there are some books out now on spiritual formation in children and such. Sally Clarkson's book, The Mission of Motherhood, has some wonderful thoughts on that, as does her husband's book, Heartfelt Discipline. But I think there are many others as well.

Another WONDERFUL one, very inspiring, is What is a Family? by Edith Schaeffer. It's an older book (70's era) so you'll find she's "talking" to some of the issues of the day (feminism, for instance) but what she has to say about family is beautiful, precious, and inspiring.

[hsgbdmama]

I've not used Ezzo either, but am aware of his methods.

Through all his and his supporters' hype, keep these facts in mind (which they can mask all they want, but cannot change):

* Gary Ezzo holds no medical degree, and has not received any formal medical or child psychology training; Anne Marie Ezzo's credentials as a pediatric nurse cannot be verified
* Gary Ezzo was removed from church leadership positions
* Gary Ezzo was caught falsifying his credentials
* Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo's own children have estranged themselves from their parents; on one of the pro-Ezzo sites, Gary and Anne Marie are reduced to communicating with their grandchildren through the site. :(

And the point that concerns me greatly, and can be used as a valid argument for not using his materials --

* Gary Ezzo continues his refusal to comply with church discipline -- how can anyone receive credible Biblical family discipline training from someone who refuses to comply with Biblical church discipline? :td

Read the pro-Ezzo sites carefully and notice that they launch personal attacks on people who criticize the Ezzos, and their defense of Ezzo methods are all over the board (they say use demand feedings, but on the parent's schedule :hunh ) in order to make Ezzo methods more mainstream. :no2

[ArmsOfLove]

i checked out the ezzoinfo.com and read the part where it talks about the ezzotruth web site. "an open letter about the Ezzotruth site" i thought that nothing it said was factual it was based on opinions. It used phrases such as "conciser ezzo's claims on such and such are believeable". It doesn't matter if you think they are believable are the true or not? the web site also made it seem like Ezzo was lying because he claimed that Christians have altered the truth about his teachings. Christians can lie and they do. thank God we can repent and he forgives us.
Are you posting in support of Gary Ezzo? That violates your user agreement. I thought you don't know anything about them according to your other thread. Can you clear up my confusion?

[Titus2Momof4]

There is a lot of far better, more well-rounded material out there to encourage parents. http://www.ezzo.info has a lot of links to critiques, and I hope it will help you.

If you're thinking mainly about raising godly children, the Ezzo's class doesn't really get into how to share your faith with your children, activities for teaching them key Christian concepts, building them up in the faith, ideas for family devotions and family prayer and service projects and so on. (Is that what you mean by godly?)


You know, we tried Ezzo...tried for months to get it "right" but never could. But in all the months, all the email lists I'd read, etc- it has NEVER dawned on me, until your post, that you are SO right- :idea His books are not on how to bring up Godly children, how to have family devotions, bible memory with your kids, etc-you know, growing kids God's way. Rather, his books are about Gary Ezzo's parenting beliefs, roomtime, structured playtime, playpen time, blanket time, swatting to not throw food down, etc.

[CrunchySeaSalt]

i checked out the ezzoinfo.com and read the part where it talks about the ezzotruth web site. "an open letter about the Ezzotruth site" i thought that nothing it said was factual it was based on opinions. It used phrases such as "conciser ezzo's claims on such and such are believeable". It doesn't matter if you think they are believable are the true or not? the web site also made it seem like Ezzo was lying because he claimed that Christians have altered the truth about his teachings. Christians can lie and they do. thank God we can repent and he forgives us.
Are you posting in support of Gary Ezzo? That violates your user agreement. I thought you don't know anything about them according to your other thread. Can you clear up my confusion?


:popcorn :think