Parenting

Matt and I have been taking a Neufeld "Vital Connections" parenting class, which as the instructor pointed out it not mainstream. I've found I actually have to look very consciously at cultural norms to decide whether they are good for our family. Supports that have been traditionally "crypted in culture" to strengthen families have been lost . Add that to the fact that there are boundless and conflicting parenting books and research. And tremendous pressure to push kids through academic hoops before kindergarten and ferry them between activities. It is a confusing and often times misleading parenting culture we are living in!

I'm (very) slowly unravelling problems and figuring out how to be a more Christlike parent. When I look back to three and a half years ago I am amazed at how different my ideas are! Now I need to work on the doing more. There is a huge gap between my knowing and doing as I try to process the information and weave it gradually into the tapestry of daily family living.

A lot of what has helped shape my ideas has been finding some really good resources (they are rare gems that require some library mining)!

"Hold Onto Your Kids" by Neufeld was the first parenting book to resonate completely with me. Right from a ten-minute Relief Society seminar by an member instructor a year ago I've been hooked. It is really all about having unconditional, Christlike love to build relationships with our children.


My other top 5 parent reading picks:

"The Joyful Child" Susan Mayclin Stephenson
"Child of the World" Susan Mayclin Stephenson
"Calm and Compassionate Children" Susan Usha Dermond (currently reading)
"Simplicity Parenting" Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross (currently reading)


On that note, this short article on what parents in other countries around the world are doing better was a fascinating read today:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-grossloh/have-american-parents-got-it-all-backwards_b_3202328.html