Hi there, my name is Shelley!
Welcome to Faithful Parenting, where my mission is to equip you with the skills, knowledge, and biblical wisdom you need to raise fantastic children and build a tethered family even amidst challenging times.
I’m a homeschooling mom of 4 (2 boys, 2 girls) from a teenager down to a 6-year-old, Board Certified Advanced Christian Parenting and Family Life Coach, and my favorite thing in life (other than the sound of my children’s giggles) is helping moms accomplish parenting goals that society tells them they can’t. You can always find me with my kiddos; snuggling under a blanket fresh from the dryer, playing Uno, building Lego Duplo towers, or (on occasion) shooting hoops.
God tells us our children are a heritage, a reward, a blessing, and arrows in the hand of a warrior.
My passion for equipping mamas comes from a deep conviction that the things God says about our children are indeed true and a lifetime of child development and parenting study.
Our children are our greatest calling. They are the people God calls us to disciple before anyone else.
Faithful Parenting is here to get best parenting practices, knowledge, and skills into the hands, hearts, and minds of mothers who long to give their children the best upbringing possible!
The source of this knowledge and skill comes exclusively from the Word of God. While there is no shortage of self-proclaimed experts and influencers vying for a chance to sway your parenting decisions; there is no reliable source outside of Scripture.
Motherhood is a gift bestowed by God, not a burden that happened to someone.
Faithful Parenting moms yearn to connect meaningfully with their children and provide them with a solid foundation for a successful and fulfilling life.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON FAITHFUL PARENTING:
🌟 Clear steps to train up your child.
Great kids aren’t born. They’re raised by parents who care deeply about the outcome of their children’s lives. This can range from training your baby how to get a good night’s sleep for proper health, all the way to prepping your teenager to nail his first job interview!
🌟 Powerful and effective steps to connect with your child!.
Correction without connection leads to conflict. The ONLY influence you have over your child long term lies within the connection you have with him or her. A meaningful relationship is at the core of every loving, intact, well-bonded family you have ever met.
🌟 Firm and loving authoritative discipline methods and strategies that will reinforce all the efforts you put forth into training and connecting. (not to be confused with oppressive tactics)
My discipline philosophy is a proactive one.
I firmly believe you can parent in such a way that very little discipline is necessary. This approach has worked with all four of my children. Both boys AND girls. Sensory sensitive and typical. Compliant and strong-willed.
Additionally, I’ve also seen it work for countless other moms who have put forth the effort and reaped a blessed harvest as a result.
🌟 Support.
Some days are more difficult than others. Life has a lot to it! I will listen to you, hug you, and maybe even cry with you. Then we’ll put our boots on together and formulate a plan for a better tomorrow.
WHAT YOU WON’T FIND ON FAITHFUL PARENTING:
🙅♀️ Jokes about hiding in the closet with a glass of wine until bedtime.
This type of satire is damaging and is creating a cultural influence that will produce heartbreaking results if it continues. With these types of memes, videos, blog posts, and social media EVERYWHERE, it’s difficult to feel proud or compelled to strive to be a good mom.
🙅♀️ A place to complain.
There are rough days in motherhood. Children are human, and humans are sinful. As such, there will always be challenges, problems, and parenting obstacles to overcome. However, this site is dedicated to equipping you with the skills and tools you need to overcome them, not to run parenting through the mud or hop on some bandwagon of mockery and sarcasm.
🙅♀️ Negativity.
I approach parenting (and life in general) with a can-do attitude. I’ve been through enough difficulty in life to know that optimism is a choice, and by goodness, life is fleeting. So I am going to press on while making the very most of each day because we are not promised more!
MOTHERHOOD IS A GIFT
The first time I held my oldest child in my arms, I was overwhelmed with humility and gratitude for the enormous task I was given. Likely you felt the same way.
To be entrusted with such a precious gift summoned a massive amount of determination within me. I knew that I didn’t want just to be a mom, I wanted to be an amazing mom.
That’s what I’m all about here, mama friend… giving you all God has given me, so you can be equipped to do this mama thing with excellence, confidence, and gratitude.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS
I’m a Board Certified Advanced Christian Life Coach with a Specialty in Parenting and Family with the BCLC, a branch of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
I have been a stay-at-home (homeschooling) mom for over 15 years, where I have completed much in-depth study, research, and home implementation of child development as it relates to parenting through a Biblical Worldview.
The unique skill set you’ll find among my work here at Faithful Parenting is that while many professionals are highly knowledgeable and well-educated, the time they have spent doing so has called them away from home. Most are doctors, psychologists, or psychiatrists who have not been at home all day in the trenches of the day-to-day of raising four children.
Faithful Parenting readers love that I am a blend of both.
I’ve been quoted and/or featured in USA Today, Epoch Times, Fatherly, and Homelight, among others.
A BIT OF BACKSTORY
Prior to staying home and making parenting my full-time job, my career experience was in pediatrics.
And many moons ago, my collegiate study was as a Child Psychology major, although I did not complete my degree.
Last but not least, I’m the second youngest of seven siblings. I sang a baby to sleep for the first time when I was six. To say that raising children has been the mantra of my entire life would be no exaggeration.
Truth is, I have a lot of backstory. A lot of childhood pain and turmoil that I could share with you. And while I’m sure it has shaped the way that I parent to some degree, the most significant way it has done so is by giving me heaps of experience and a relentless determination to give my children the unbreakable family bond I didn’t have.
I’ve done it and so can you!
Many blessings,
Shelley
Shelley lives in the great state of Tennessee, with her husband of 18 years, their four beautiful children, and a hodgepodge of animals. When she’s not homeschooling, playing with the kids, coaching another mom, or writing, she likes snuggling under a blanket fresh from the dryer, reading historical fiction, and front-porch-sittin’!
“Father God, You are faithful, and you are good. I’m grateful for your mercy, your goodness, and for bringing this sweet soul here. I ask that you surround this precious reader with your presence. You know the needs, frustrations, sorrows, and joys brought here today. Meet them here. Fill the space as only you can, and show yourself faithful. Draw near to them as they seek You. Bring peace and blessed assurance. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
STATEMENT OF FAITH
I believe the Bible is God-inspired and is our ultimate authority. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
I believe that God is Triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14
I believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. John 1:1,14; 20:28
I believe that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, signing the pardon of all who believe in Him. Romans 5:8
I believe that upon sincere repentance and a wholehearted acceptance of Christ, we are justified before God. 1 John 1:9
I believe that baptism by immersion in water is an outward sign of the inward work of regeneration. We believe in the commemoration of Christ’s death through the sharing of bread and juice of the vine, representing His body and blood offered for our salvation. Matthew 28:19
Initiated at Pentecost, Holy Spirit baptism is the promise of the Father, given by Jesus after His ascension, to empower the church to preach the gospel throughout the earth. Acts 1:5-8
I believe that the Holy Spirit has gifts to bestow upon Christians and that we should show spiritual fruit as evidence of a Spirit-filled life. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
I believe God provides practical knowledge and skills for parents to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and that there is no scriptural evidence that parenting should be riddled with turmoil. Titus 2
