I admit, if there were a parenting manual I'd be the first in line to get one! Sometimes I feel so lost when it comes not just to parenting in general, but realizing parenting isn't a one-size-fits-all deal either. The way you parent with one child may not be the way you parent with another child. Personalities clash and not only do Kayla and Lucas have different personalities from each other, I have a different personality from them as well.
So yeah, I need a little help in figuring out the best way to parent these two! :-)
Out of the Mouths of Babes "offers a unique approach tailored to working with the personalities of individual children, ultimately educating parents how to view every experience through the eyes of their children." I know I don't do that often enough - see things through the eyes of my kids, and I need to stop and do that more often.
The author is not only a parent, but also an educator, therapist, and pediatric nurse. She shares how her principles worked in raising 3 boys with very different personalities. She offers solutions to some of the common frustrating parenting-dilemmas like sleeping through the night, potty-training, eating at all ages, sibling rivalry and conflict resolution, and effective discipline.
I haven't had a chance to read the book all the way through, but so far have enjoyed what I've read. While some if it seems like common-sense advice - ie you need to model the behavior you want your child to learn - it is nice to have the reminders and read what others have gone through; just to know you're not alone in what you're feeling or dealing with.
I like the quotes from children that appear throughout the book too - kids can be so honest and innocent in what they say!
Out of the Mouths of Babes received a silver award from the Mom's Choice Awards of Entro Magazine for 2009 in the category of parenting.
3 comments:
That sounds really interesting. It is so true that you have to adjust for who your children are.
I just finished reading Elizabeth Edward's book Resilience, and she talks about how children can be so different within the same family. People will say they don't understand it. She makes the important and often overlooked point that it's not the same family. For example, our oldest was an only child for 7 years, our next was born into a family with a child. J&J were each born into a different dynamic than each of our first two.
It's very freeing when you can understand they are each individuals that you have to adjust to.
Thanks for the review. I'll have to check it out.
nice...sounds good.
Dear Michelle,
thank you so much for the thoughtful review of my book Out of the Mouths of Babes. I appreciate your candidness about feeling so lost yourself sometimes. Most of us do and feel even more lost when we put our efforts into a parenting strategy that doesn't work for us. It's obvious from your postings that you are doing a far better job than you give yourself credit for. Your children are beautiful and look so happy!
Kind Regards,
Dyan Eybergen
Author: Out of the Mouths of Babes
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