Hold On To Your Kids

[SweetPotato]

has got to be the best parenting book ever!!! I'm still reading, but had to share that. I've seen references to it a gazillion times, but have always been reading other things. Seriously-- if you're reading other parenting books, you can totally stop and go straight to this one. My dh always teases me about reading so much, but has said that if I can find ONE book that sums it all up (and that he can try to follow for discipline without me arguing with him about it), that he'll read it- and I already have so many bookmarks in this one that I think we've found a winner. It feels SO good to have professionals in the field validating my instincts -I love what they have to say about independence and discipline in particular and just how they carry out the attachment parenting ideal into dealing with older kids (and a lot of their discussion on attachment and relationships can be applied to marriage as well)

That's all. Just excited to be reading a fantastic book. Recommending it to, literally, everyone.

[dianakaye]

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm a parenting-book read-a-holic too, but I rarely find anything that I actually adore. I'll have to check it out...

My favorite parenting book so far is "Whole Child/Whole Parent". It was such a beautiful, insightful book.

[columbusmomma]

thanks for the suggestion just reserved it from the library.

[LionTigerBear]

I LOVE "Hold On To Your Kids" and I recommend it all the time. I need to go reread it now . . . it's been a couple of years since I read it and my parenting is lagging lately with a new baby in the house . . .

[EnviroBecca]

I loved it too, except for the recommendation that you hold onto your teenagers so tightly and so consistently, for instance never allowing any sleepovers. I think that's too extreme. When a teen has become too distant, I understand the need to bring him closer by restricting his other options for a while. If you realize your teen is spending 2 nights out of every 7 out of the house, of course you need to cut back on that. But forbidding a well-attached teen from enjoying normal socializing is likely actually to harm your bond, I think.

[ChinaDoll]

It IS a great book - I recommended it to our Student Minister at church as well!

[allgirls]

[nina_yyc]

Originally Posted by EnviroBecca

I loved it too, except for the recommendation that you hold onto your teenagers so tightly and so consistently, for instance never allowing any sleepovers. I think that's too extreme.

I didn't really get that. I got that he didn't think they should be having sleepovers every weekend or to the point where it's preempting family life.

When I was a teenager, we'd tell our parents we were having a sleepover and stay out drinking till dawn, then sneak into my BFF's no-curfew house and say we'd been there since midnight. I hope DD never does that.