Book Club: Pitchin' A Fit! by Israel and Brook Wayne

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Pitchin’ a Fit! Overcoming Angry and Stressed-Out Parenting by Israel and Brook Wayne is an enlightening read. Unfortunately, stress is apart of everyday life and it seems to be multiplied when you are a parent. Being a parent of two under the age of five and one teenager makes my own household seem even more stressful. 

I approached the Wayne’s book, Pitchin’ a Fit!, with great anticipation because I know I lose my patience and tend to let life and parenting stress me out too much.  A lot of the book spoke to me. It was easy to connect with such statements as:

“Just why do little stressors have to all gang up on me together…?” [1]

“We like to safeguard our lives and avoid stress at all costs.” [2]  

“Very often, anger is a defense mechanism that we utilize, not only to protect our physical well-being, but also our emotional and/or spiritual well-being.” [3]

Personally, I find that I often let things build up and then I lose my patience.  There is an entire chapter: “But I’m Not Patient!” that discusses the idea that most see patience as sliding scale.  We say, “I’m losing my patience” but it isn’t really something we lose. Brooke Wayne addresses that idea the “Patience isn’t Passive.”  Too often we think of it as something to be lost but we must make an active choice to walk with those who might anger us with love and encouragement.  “Patience…opens the door of a relationship” while anger slams it shut. [4]

This book provides a Christian perspective on how to handle “angry and stressed-out parenting.” It is recommended to: “ask God to forgive you and change your heart” and “believe that God can and will change you.” Pitchin’ A Fit! contains numerous biblical quotes and references to provide the reader with insight so one can “memorize it, and apply it.” [5]

I would recommend this book to Christian parents – even those who are not overcoming anger and who are not stressed out.  It reminds us not to enter a “default mode” of criticizing our children but to look for positive ways to discipline children and bring them closer to God.

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[1] Israel and Brook Wayne, Pitchin’ A Fit!: Overcoming Angry and Stressed-Out Parenting, (Green Forest, AR, New Leaf Press, 2016), 14.

[2] Wayne, Pitchin’ A Fit!, 15.

[3] Wayne, Pitchin’ A Fit!, 44.

[4] Wayne, Pitchin’ A Fit!, 114.

[5] Wayne, Pitchin’ A Fit!, 52.