My name is Mitchell Ackerman, and I love my boys. I do. I just have no idea what to do with them.
See, their mom passed away when the younger one – that’s Hudson – was less than a year old. Lincoln was three. I’m not saying I think kids can raise themselves, but do they all actually need a ton of hands-on attention all the time?
That might be a rhetorical question.
You tell me if it is, because evidence on Ackerman Farm not quite four years later indicates that my logic was lacking. My brother’s wife left him shortly after Lindsay passed away, and Treyan moved into the farmhouse basement. He had his daughter part-time, so we swapped childcare around Trey’s full-time job. It was working. Kind of.
But then Treyan went and fell in love, and now he’s getting married soon. (The falling in love part is in his and Brittany’s story, A Wide and Pleasant Place, if you want to know.) But meanwhile, I’m not looking for romance again. Lindsay was it for me. Besides, it doesn’t seem fair to bring a woman into our lives.
Okay, only a desperate woman would give me a second look while these two boys swing around like banshees. Lincoln is his teacher’s problem at school now, and yes, I hear about his behavior at parent-teacher meetings, but I don’t know how to fix him. How to fix his little brother. How to fix myself.
I’m busy. I run a market garden. I work in the greenhouse until I can plant seedlings out in the fields. Then there’s all the plant nurturing and watering and weeding and eventually picking.
There’s probably a metaphor in there somewhere for raising kids, but I don’t know what it is.
So, you folks look like you might be experienced at parenting. Give a single dad some help here. What should I do to regain control of my wild, disobedient sons? Don’t say I need to spend less time working. That’s not an option if we want to keep a roof over our heads.
And don’t suggest a nanny, because I can’t afford one. To say nothing of no woman in her right mind wanting to spend any time with my hoodlums.
So, suggestions, please? I’m serious. I need help in the worst way.
Oh, you want to know about my story? I’m pretty sure this is going to end badly, but here’s what my author is thinking. You can preorder now for an early May delivery to your Kindle.
A single dad farmer. A reluctant nanny.
Arleigh O’Neill gambles on starting her own flower farm with a tight budget on leased land… and loses when the river overflows its banks, demolishing the rented greenhouse, drowning her fields, and destroying her mobile home. She needs a fresh start, but no one in Galena Landing seems to be hiring.
Widowed farmer Mitchell Ackerman is at wit’s end with his two rambunctious sons, but his brother’s suggestion he hire Arleigh to nanny the boys is a nonstarter. He can’t afford to pay anyone, and besides, she annoys him with her hippie-flower-painted van and independent attitude. When, after a particularly bad parenting day. Arleigh drives a bargain to care for them in exchange for greenhouse space, Mitchell is in no position to argue.
Arleigh thinks he’s arrogant. Mitchell thinks she’s frivolous. What will it take to get them to see into each other’s hearts and grasp a green and vibrant hope?
Preorder A Green and Vibrant Hope!
Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
This sounds like such a fun book!
Rambunctious kids, opposites attract . . . Sounds wonderful!
Oh, I love the sounds of this. Blessings
This sounds good!! No parenting advice here, as I’ve never had kids! However, since I’m a firm believer is spankings if needed, that might just work! And, since I know that some of my nieces and nephews weren’t spanked and how that worked, I’d say it could definitely be a good option!
Any advice for Mitch? And his author? LOL
It sounds like a zoo LOL. Working my way through the last 20% and trying to bring it ‘home.’
Thanks. Any advice for Mitch?
The word has been mentioned, but it is very not-PC to spank kids these days. So, much as that would have been my route with similar children (my own) 35 years ago, I can’t recommend it in a book today!
Hi, this book sounds like a great read. Well my advice would be to spend a little more time with them and to keep them busy, you all should have meals together, have them do their homework, give them some house chores to do and then play some boardgames or something together and have them read for half an hour or an hour and take their showers and then before they to to bed say you alls prayers together, and ask them what they wold like to ask Jesus and then have them go to bed after their prayers. If they misbehave have them do extra chores. Good luck.
I’ll pass that on to Mitchell! ;) It’s good advice.
Sad, but true!! Though parenting has become very lax, and part of the reason we have so many that feel they’re “entitled” and can do whatever they want!! And if all those so-called experts from years ago were around to see what our society is like from listening to them, I wonder just how many would be changing their tunes!
I hear you!
Your book sounds great. I love stories with children.
They certainly add a fun dimension!
Your book sounds like it would be a lot of fun to read. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Thank you! Any tips for Mitchell?
sounds fun
Sounds interesting! I don’t have any good advice. I don’t think society, social media, or the educational system has done our kids any favors :(
Thanks!
I agree, it’s harder to parent effectively these days.
Some of my friends and I were spanked as a child. Did we like it? NOT sure that later we cried and in our minds we were “totally traumatized” in Chile even some adolescents receive slaps well…my friends who were raised like this are respectful and good people who understood that there are things that simply are not done.
All those who were never disciplined or spanked are irresponsible, irreverent and horrible people who do not respect their parents only two friends raised with conversations nothing more are good and it is because their nature was always shy and calm summary? some kids just don’t understand any other way, with a cousin they tried EVERYTHING except spanking, taking away privileges, talking, chores…well he just wouldn’t listen and wouldn’t do the homework, he would take out the hidden tablet and he knew there would be no consequences except more talks…At 25 years old I can say that some people my age needed more discipline.