Bless This Mess ― A Modern Guide to Faith and Parenting in a Chaotic World

Pairing modern psychology with liberal Christian spirituality, Dr. Ellen O'Donnell and Rev. Molly Baskette deliver a clear and compelling modus operandi for making family life work--one rooted in research on parenting and Christian values, peppered with personal stories and a heavy dose of humor.

When authors Ellen O'Donnell and Molly Baskette became parents, they read lots of books on parenting--many of them great. But when it came to practical suggestions that would help their family spiritually and psychologically, they came up short. Together, they sought out brainstorming actionable steps to help their families in ways that weren't being discussed in parenting books. This book is the fruit of their brainstorming and discussions.
In Bless This Mess, readers will gain tools as they learn how to talk to kids about money, bodies, God, ethics, disability, and difference; how to stress less (really); how to embody an ethic of service to others; how to live a practice of deep generosity and gratitude; and, most of all, how to stop being so afraid all the damn time, as we raise our kids in an increasingly chaotic and often scary world. Both Christian spirituality and modern science can help us parent more fearlessly in an age of anxiety. With real-life examples and strategies to address the challenges of raising a toddler, preteen, or teenager, Bless This Mess guides parents of children at all stages of their development.
Readers will shed stress with this resource they can turn to again and again for practical guidance as their children grow and the family encounters new challenges. Most important, readers will not feel alone, as they peruse relatable stories and are reminded of the companionship of God in their parenting journey.

REV. MOLLY PHINNEY BASKETTE, MDiv, is the senior minister of First Congregational Church of Berkeley, California, and the author of several series of books, including grief workbooks for children and practical how-tos for church renewal. She lives in Alameda, California, with her husband and two children, where she loves to march in the streets, bike the Bay, or read in the hammock, depending on God's agenda for the day.

ELLEN O'DONNELL, PhD, is a child psychologist at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Shriners Hospitals for Children--Boston and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters on topics in child psychology, such as learning disabilities, coping with a child's or parent's medical illness, and positive parenting practices to prevent depression and anxiety in children. Ellen lives in Concord, Massachusetts, with her husband and their two boys.