The Book That Changed the Way I Parent.

I accidentally bought Too Small To Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most by Dr. Wess Stafford while we were in the adoption process. I started reading it thinking it was about international adoption, and quickly became bored when I found out it wasn’t. Aram was around a year old, and the book wasn’t really triggering any kind of useful tools or inspiration at the time.

I decided to pick it up again one night after Samuel came home.I was instantly hooked. I can’t believe the difference I felt for this book in just one year. This book is about children, plain and simple. Wess Stafford is candid about his own childhood as well as his knowledge of children. It is a story about his life in Africa and the joy he felt there, as well as the abuse that he encountered when he had to leave for the school year taught by missionaries. He teaches the unique difference he experienced as a child playing with both Western children and African children. He explained in great length how compassion was taught in the village he was living in on the Ivory Coast. His confessions of the abused he faced at school, allowing us inside of his mind as a young child, was almost too hard at points to read, but important. It helped me understand both Samuel and Aram and made me want to strive to be a better parent.

I recently spoke with Dr. Stafford and he was as lovely as he seemed in the book.

This is a faith based, Christian book, but I definitely believe non-Christians would enjoy reading his thoughts about children and parenting.