Ariel M. Barr
CHMN 301: Foundations of NextGen Ministries
Professor Stephen Vanegriff
Reading Report: Raising Adults: Getting Kids Ready for the Real World
ii
Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..1
Summary………………………………………………………………………………………...1
Personal Response………………………………………………………………………………2
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….…3
Bibliography............................................................................................................................
1
Introduction
As children embark on the journey of being childlike, they also embark on a journey of
getting to know themselves as well as their parents. Children begin to know their parents from
the day that they are conceived (or at least one parent) if the conditions are correct. If this is the
truth, then parents have the most impact in their child’s life then any other person who walks the
earth. That’s why it was imperative for Jim Hancock to release and display his ideas on how
parents should be utilizing parenthood to greater expand their relationships with their own
children. In Hancock’s book, Raising Adults: A Humane Guide for Parenting in the New World,
he delves into topics of the history of children that no one has really spoken about. From the
history to the real-world applications of what it is like to be a child being raised by a parent or
parents. Hancock takes the perspective off of children being ‘difficult’ or ‘bad’ and navigates to
the perspective of parents having to be taught by their children on how to raise them. He begins
with suggesting that children are the product of their environment, even the children from the
50s1.
Summary
John Hancock begins to divulge all of the ‘baby boomer’s’ secrets by telling us a play-by-
play of what went down in the 50s and how there was a stark contrast between the baby boomers
and their parents. This one line sums up the life of a child back in the 50s, “What was
unspeakable for our parents, we spoke right out loud. What they kept hidden, we did in broad
daylight”2. This is a repeated behavior that is seen even more throughout our current generations
as well. Another point that Hancock speaks about throughout his book is the disposition of the
1 J. Hancock, Raising Adults…, p.
22. 2 J. Hancock, Raising
Adults…, p. 24.
2
parents versus what the child actually needs. Parents knowing seemingly everything, and the
child being shamed for not knowing as much3 or the parents believing that they know what’s best
for their child in every situation when, in fact, they have no clue what they are talking about4.
Every child deserves to have a parent that listens to them and does not hijack or shame their
feelings like Hancock talks about. He goes even further to say that the parent should be a partner
in their child’s life and not a boss5. Specifically he says, “When I Partner, my kid becomes a
participant, not just an observer”6. This helps motivate the child to be an active person in the
parent-child relationship and not just a child who has to listen to instruction.
Hancock also talks about the emotional aspect of being a child and how a parent can be there for
him or her as their partner and not just their parent. Parents should open their child’s horizons to
spiritual things and people and even broaden their own horizons7. Parents should also, in spite of
everything else, be encouraging and loving on their children in the proper ways8. There should
not be a lack of love and respect from a parent to a child, this betters the intersection between the
two generations9 and calls a truce going forward.
Personal Response
From reading pages 8 to 143 (the entire book), I feel that I gained an extra knowledge of,
not only children, but parenting as an aspiring NextGen leader. Hancock displayed his ideas well
and even in an interactive way that would make the reader more interested in hearing about the
3 J. Hancock, Raising Adults…, p. 55. 4
J. Hancock, Raising Adults…, p. 40. 5 J.
Hancock, Raising Adults…, p. 48.
6 J. Hancock, Raising Adults…, p. 46. 7
J. Hancock, Raising Adults…, p. 127. 8
J. Hancock, Raising Adults…, p. 116. 9
J. Hancock, Raising Adults…, p. 143.
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Conclusion
Overall, parenting is not for the faint of heart, it is for the people who are willing to go
that extra mile and a half to be the best parent that they can be. To propel their child or children
into the next stages of life before the world gets a hold of them and teaches them wrong. Parents
are not perfect, and neither are children, they are both exploring new things in life every single
moment that they are in this partnership. As parents’ parent and as a child continue to be a child,
there will be growth, there will be respect, there will be tears, but most of all there will be love if
parenting in done in the best interest of the child.
3
qualms of parenting while not being a parent. He taught new parents how to navigate the life of
raising children and even how to approach themselves in the mirror when dealing with tough
situations about their own errors. Hancock opens a can of worms when it comes to the parenting
world especially when he speaks about opening the door for parents admitting that they can be
wrong sometimes and that it not okay for a parent to shame their child for not knowing things
that they were never taught. He gives the parent and the child a safe place to rest, in peace and in
knowledge, or knowing that parenting and having parents, is a journey that never ends.
4
Bibliography
Hancock, J. (2010). Raising Adults: A Humane Guide for Parenting in the New World. The Tiny
Company Called Me. https://app.logos.com/books/LLS
%3AWS_BDD87467B3A048DD896DFF6E7E2A2CD6/references/page.63?layout=one
