Simple Happy Parenting, Book Review

SIMPLE HAPPY PARENTING

Parenting is one of those things that challenges; it challenges even the most successful, well educated, and patient among us. When an adult is required to contend with a seemingly irrational miniature human who constantly demands some type of attention, it can leave even the greatest of men overwhelmed and frustrated. Somehow those little bundles of cuteness have the capability of bringing out the very worst monsters inside of even the most cultured grown members of our society. Nevermind the grave responsibility and heavy burden that parents feel weighing on their shoulders. They feel they need to ensure they teach their child everything he or she needs to know, that they provide all the opportunities, all the stuff, all the entertainment, to ensure that these little humans grow into perfect people. 

Enter Simple, happy parenting. Seriously? Is that even a thing? I mean I can think of a lot of words to describe parenting, but simple, yeah that probably wouldn't even be on my list.  

However, this is just the title that Denaye Barahona uses to title of her recently published book, Simple Happy Parenting.
       
Simple Happy Parenting By Denaye BarahonaPROBLEMS WITH OUR CULTURE

In her book, Denaye highlights some of the big issues with our modern Western culture's way of living and raising kids. The results of our culture's way is stress, exhaustion, anxiety, health problems, and crumbling relationships. Not because we aren't trying, no rather, Denaye says the problem is that we have the best intentions to give our kids as much as we can; yet we actually end up giving them less of the things that really matter.

SIMPLE EASY READ

Simple Happy Parenting is the first adult book that I've managed to read from start to finish since my 5 year old was born. And I did it in a few short days, mainly reading while breastfeeding my youngest. The book is, well, simple. Its a simple read; not at all what I was expecting when I borrowed the book from my local library. Knowing the author has a Ph.D in Child Development and a Post Grad certificate in Behavior Analysis, I assumed the book would be filled with technical studies of why and what children need. The book, however is surprisingly not this at all. The studies are alluded to in places, but only as they support the book's purpose of inspiring parents to embrace a counter-cultural way of living that promises more peacefulness in the family and healthy development in the children. I found Denaye's writing style captivating and inspiring. It is not overly wordy and there are lots of illustrations and pictures which create a special mood and help explain the message. She is honest and breaks down the idealistic expectations we create for ourselves and replaces them with realistic, but still beautiful ones.

CHOOSING LESS STRESS

There is so much I could highlight, but one of the points that really hit me as I was reading the book is that our culture's way of living is breeding anxiety in our children. When we parent and live as stressed, anxious adults, we are sending that message and example to our kids. It's no wonder mental health issues around anxiety in kids are on the rise.

PASS ON TRUE VALUES

The other big take away for me was to really consider what the way I live is teaching my kids to value? Am I teaching them to value clothes and stuff, to value people for what they can get from them physically? Or is the way I live teaching them to value the things that are truly important like meaningful relationships, character, religion? 


MORE TAKEAWAYS

Besides being re-inspired to de-clutter more and do more walks outside and cooking together, as of today we are implementing meal windows. :D It's brilliant.

PARENT LESS?

My only concern as I read the book was around Denaye's concept of parenting less. Although I agree with her concept in terms of allowing your kids to fall over and make mistakes so they can learn and grow and in terms of not parenting from a place of fear. I feel that she didn't provide a lot of examples to help me identify what areas of parenting this applies to. I believe their are areas of parenting where we do need to parent more, to be more present with our children, to set clear boundaries, and to capture those teachable moments. So I guess I would have liked more clarity here as to exactly where parenting less is needed.

If you are looking for a book to tell you exactly how to react when your toddler throws a tantrum or your teenager talks back, this isn't it. However, if you are looking for a book to inspire your parenting venture and your family life, and give you some provoking thought about your overall parenting philosophies, and maybe makes you feel a bit lighter about it all then give Simple Happy Parenting a read.

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