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When her biological daughter was 11 years old, Bethany Meadows adopted a sibling group of four children ages 8, 9, 10 and 11 years old. The sudden impact of growing from a family with an only child to one with five children was a shock, especially given the extent of new behavioral and special needs. Desperately reading one parenting book after another to find the answer to her increasingly chaotic situation, she grew both frustrated and disheartened. Her family either didn’t fit inside the box of someone else’s idea of parenting or the books lacked enough practicality to really make a difference.

While spending a good deal of time praying on the floor of her bedroom closet, Bethany learned to rely on God to guide her parenting decisions. By tackling each of the parenting challenges one at a time, she was able to develop a plan that worked… and saved her sanity! 

“Those first six months I sincerely thought that God had made a terrible mistake! I was not equipped to handle the situation I found myself in. I was buried in an endless cycle of cooking, cleaning and laundry. I was overwhelmed by the noise, the arguing and the never-ending conflicts,” Bethany reflects. “I am passionate about helping parents develop their parenting plan. Every family needs a parenting plan that makes sense for their unique dynamic.”

Getting a Grip is structured to take the reader through the process of developing their own parenting plan. It is a framework upon which a parent can establish and build customized methods for discipline, setting rules and guidelines and even identifying spiritual objectives. Throughout the book, Bethany uses stories and examples from her own parenting journey to illustrate and support each section. In just 10 simple chapters, she guides the reader step-by-step to discover a new way of parenting—a way that is flexible enough to change as needs change.