Parenting Without Fear
Letting Go of Worry and Focusing on What Really Matters
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"Dr. Donahue's calm, reasoned approach will help moms and dads sort out their concerns so they can stop worrying about the future and enjoy their rapidly changing kids — now."
--Thomas. W. Phelan, author, 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children
The ‘perfect parenting' expectations imposed on you by the media, society, your family, and your community can seem impossible to live up to and only make you more fearful and anxious. Paul Donahue, Ph.D. has uncovered the six most common fears that prevent you from being the effective, loving, and successful parent you want to be:
-The Fear of Letting Go
-The Fear of Not Doing Enough
-The Fear of Taking Charge
-The Fear of Slowing Down
-The Fear of Unstructured Time
-The Fear of Falling Behind
Parenting Without Fear gives you the tools to confront your fears, rethink your goals and teach your children how to be independent, to persevere, to cooperate and respect adults, to be mindful, to imagine and explore their world, and to develop compassion for others. Discover how to gain the confidence to trust your own judgment, and the courage to make choices about your children's academic, social and athletic lives that reflect your family's values and balance your needs with theirs.
"Dr. Donahue has masterfully identifies the key fears faced by many parents as they confront the challenges of raising children in today's world and he does so with warmth, humor, and empathy. This book will serve as an invaluable resource for parents."
--Robert Brooks, Ph.D., co-author, Raising Resilient Children and The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence and Personal Strength in Your Life
"This book provides welcome reassurance to parents who worry they are not doing everything they can for their kids."
--Nancy Samalin, M.S., author of Loving without Spoiling and 100 Timeless Tips for Raising Terrific Kids
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Clinical psychologist Donahue presents the novel idea that parents should "do less," not more, for their children and argues that parents' fears are holding kids back from developing self-reliance and independence. According to Donahue, parents mainly fear letting go, not doing enough, and unstructured time. He takes readers through these topics one by one, helping parents teach their children to be independent, cooperative, respectful, mindful, imaginative and curious, and to develop compassion for others. The thrust of this work is devoted to ways of raising resilient children and bolstering parents who tend to follow trends rather than march to the beat of their own drummer. A recurring theme is the overscheduling of kids and the accompanying competition so prevalent today. Donahue advises limiting extracurricular activities such as team sports and making time for family dinners, independent play and outdoor exploration. The author points out that not only parents but kids should learn to be more "mindful," noting that even children of the frenzied computer age can be taught to slow down. Donahue's heartfelt discourse on "what really matters" just might help anxious parents replace the rush to get ahead with a calm and respectful attitude toward child rearing and life.