What we’re truly doing is going back to our heart – our humanity – to bring up our children in love, not fear. ~ Rebecca Eanes & Laura Ling
Positive parenting is a concept that confuses a lot of people. So ingrained is our society with the traditional, authoritarian style of parenting, people tend to assume that no punishments must surely equal no parenting.
The opposite is true.
Positive parenting is a highly responsive and attentive type of parenting, one in which our relationship with our children is paramount, and kids are guided (guided, not ignored) with love, respect, and kindness. In short, positive parents treat their children they way they themselves would like to be treated. The question that is on many people’s minds is, “But how do I do it?”
Positive Parenting in Action, a new ebook by Rebecca Eanes (owner and author of the Positive Parenting website, and the founder of the popular Facebook page, Positive Parenting: Toddlers and Beyond) and Laura Ling, breaks it all down in a really lovely and encouraging way. Instead of just offering up vague advice about what NOT to do, it instead gives the reader clear and loving examples on respectful ways to handle everything from tantrums to aggressive or dangerous behavior to sibling rivalry to potty learning.
Even with all of these examples (there are more than 50 pages worth of common scenarios), this is not a how-to book that a promises if you employ a specific method, your children will turn out a certain way. In fact, as it says in the very beginning of the book, “Positive Parenting isn’t a method, but a philosophy – a way of seeing our children and our relationship with them.” The common thread throughout all the parenting examples given is that connection with the child and maintaining a position of love and empathy are top priority. All parent/child relationships are different, because all children are different. This book allows for that, while still holding the position that there is a always a way to respond with kindness and understanding rather than with anger or punishment.
I think what I loved most about this book is that it never once resorts to shaming parents into feeling like they’ve somehow failed, or like they’ve surely messed up their children by not doing things differently. Instead it acts as both coach and cheerleader, offering both practical advice (and lots of it) as well as gentle encouragement to follow the innate, loving, Mama instinct that was there all along.
While it’s aimed at parents with children from ages 0 through 6, it feel it holds value for all parents wanting to learn more about the positive parenting philosophy…. from those with brand-new babies, to seasoned moms of four like myself. I truly enjoyed this book, and gleaned much from its pages.
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Want to a win free copy? Just leave a comment telling me why you need to read this book. Share the link to this post on Facebook and/or Twitter for up to two bonus entries (let me know which ones you’ve done.) One lucky reader will be selected at random, and announced next Friday, April 20th. Good luck!
Winner is Amy D! Thanks everyone for participating!
Can’t wait to read it? You can purchase a copy here.
Oh, you know why I do, Jen! 🙂 positive parenting has changed my child, even though I still fail every single day!
That would be great:)
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This book sounds very helpful! I have struggled a lot on my parenting journey. I am not too proud to admit I need help! I would love to read this book. 🙂
Sometimes I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing, especially now that I’m potty training. I think this book would be extremely helpful for me.
I need this because I have 7 kids who make me, too, feel like I have no clue how to deal with them. After all, they are all so individual, and when I finally get a theory down, I get a different kid going through that stage.
So, maybe I don’t have positive parenting down yet. LOL!
I need this because a) I’m a mostly single parent with a child that needs all the positive discipline he can get. I try to be as positive as I can, but it’s not always easy, and I can always always use more info. and b) I work with families that are often at risk of abuse or have had abusive behaviors in the past or are just desperately in need of guidance. One of the areas I help most with is parenting. I’ve discovered that many parents use spanking, yelling, etc, because it’s all they know, & they are often grateful to have an alternative. This book would be an amazing resource for my work & would help a lot of families that need it!
I would like to read this book because I learn best through specific examples. I love my kids so much and want them to know and experience the depth of my love!
I would love a copy of this book because my daughter is 2… do I need to say more?! 😉
I would love a copy because we have been practicing positive parenting for a little over 1 year (my son is 3 yrs now), I had been reading about it for months and felt so discouraged that it made sense while reading it and on the practice it was so frustrating, things only really clicked when I started getting counseling and lots of healing have taken place since then. Now there are some times though when my husband and I still are not 100% sure how to go about it. Also I feel the more I read (and practice) the more it seems to flow.
Would love to have a copy of this on my bookshelf to share with other parents!
I would love this book. My girl is about to be 2 and for the first time this respectful parenting thing is becoming hard, especially being in my first trimester I’m just so tired. I’ve read so much in the past but now that it’s here in just nor being able to put it into practice like she needs.
I would love to read this book. I would love to read the specific examples that are in the book.
Just finished a positive discipline course and would love to keep filling my heart and mind with these wonderful ideas
I would love to have a copy of this book so I can have a resource at my fingertips. My son is 2 and we’ve been working through some challenging emotions and behaviors. It would be really helpful to have specific examples and scenarios as he grows up.
Sounds really interesting, I’d be excited to win! And if not, I might just buy it 🙂 Thanks for the review.