"350 QUESTIONS PARENTS SHOULD ASK DURING FAMILY NIGHT," by Shannon L. Alder, Cedar Fort, $12.99, 128 pages (nf)
"350 Questions Parents Should Ask During Family Night" by Shannon L. Alder is a tool that parents can use to start discussing serious and important issues with their children.
Alder offers up some scary statistics, such as one in 20 children admit to arranging a meeting with someone they met online. She doesn't use these statistics to frighten, but to bring to attention the gravity of some of the things today's children have to deal with. This book offers a way for parents to prepare their children for being in the world and gives them tools for discussing situations that may arise before they come up.
The book is arranged by topics, some of which are staying safe on the internet, creating personal boundaries, staying away from drugs and alcohol and developing good self-esteem. Alder also has a chapter in the book about helping children to learn about cultural diversity. In order to make it easier for parents, Alder has also written questions that parents can ask young children and questions that can be asked of teens.
As the author is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she writes the book with an LDS audience in mind. Although the questions in the book can be asked at any time, Alder suggests that family home evening is an ideal setting for these conversations to occur.
Because this book touches on personal boundaries, there are questions about sexual violence, abuse and date rape. There are also age-appropriate questions relating to drug and alcohol use.
Alder, who resides in California, is the author of "350 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask Before Marriage," "300 Questions to Ask Your Parents Before It's Too Late," and "300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask for a More Vibrant Marriage."