Monday, June 22, 2015

Review: How To Raise An Adult

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content 
and opinions expressed here are all my own.
 


When I first heard about "How To Raise An Adult" by Julie Lythcott-Haims, I thought it might be a light-hearted poke at the world of parenting, but as I read through this book, I quickly realized the truth behind the title and was highlighting lines on page after page.

First, I believe this book would be beneficial for all parents, no matter what stage they're in. As a newer parent, a lot of the topics didn't apply for where we are at currently, but this book did make me stop and mentally note a lot of the topics for future reference. 

With Calvin being just over a year old, he's not voicing his hopes & dreams or playing in the front yard alone or coming in contact with strangers, but I know those days are coming, so it was nice to read the authors thoughts and questions to ask ourselves.

"When we're tempted to let our presence be what protects [our children], we need to ask, To what end? How do we prevent and protect while teaching kids the skills they need? How do we teach them to do it on their own?"

And instead of leaving parents defeated and beating themselves up because we're not the perfect parent, Julie Lythcott-Haims gives grace and notes that while we're all human there is, what she calls, "another way" or cultivating an authoritative parenting style.  Simply put, Lythcott-Haims says:

"But by cutting ourselves some slack, widening our definition of success, and focusing on how to unconditionally love our kids and ourselves, we can, in fact, get it right."

 Who wouldn't want this, right?

As I mentioned above, when I finished this book, you could find highlighted sections throughout.  Some were so I could remember what NOT to do and others were simply ideas or tips of how to parent better. Ultimately, this book left me feeling less alone as I stumble my way through this [tough] job I've been given.

For more tips, check out the video below from the author: