Letting Them Go
by Dave Veerman
Published by Integrity Publishers
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
When a child leaves home, emotions vary. For some families it is a little frightening and yet exciting. For other families it is a time that they dread and grief can be a significant byproduct. It doesn't matter which camp you fall into, leaving home is a process that can be transitioned into successfully if you follow the ideas Dave Veerman maps out in Letting Them Go.
Veerman suggests that parents be prepared (often easier said than done) for the time their children leave. Letting Them Go offers practical techniques as you begin the transition phase of "leaving." He offers the following advice to help the child's transition:
-- Make sure your child is spiritually prepared to leave home.
-- Always keep the lines of communication open between you and your child.
-- Teach your child what they need to know in order to successfully transition into the world, i.e., finance issues, what to do if/when something unexpected happens.
And parents must know:
-- When to intervene and when to leave things alone.
-- How to prepare their hearts and minds for their child's departure.
-- How to welcome a child back home if that becomes a reality.
Letting Them Go is not just about the preparation for leaving, it is also a practical manual for celebrating a child's last days at home. It also covers the realities of what it will be like the day they leave, after they're gone, sibling issues that will arise, and controlling the worries every parent is bound to have.
I specifically found the chapter Looking Down the Road helpful. It's a look at your marriage, the adjustments and the exciting journey you are embarking on as an empty nester (if the last child has left). The Biblical references throughout the book will add to the learning and preparation process.
Armchair Interviews says: We all face the time when our children will leave home. How you adjust could be helped by reading Letting Them Go.