Journal Entry 1 by Minnih from Tsawwassen, British Columbia Canada on Monday, February 16, 2004

This remarkable book uses a wealth of insight and detail to connect the art of parenting and teaching with the quality of the parent-child or teacher-child relationship.

The first two-thirds deal with a cultural malaise that the authors claim is sweeping North America, making both parenting and teaching more challenging. With a wealth of both cited research and personal stories, the authors tie together issues such as bullying, early promiscuity, general aimlessness, learning difficulties, and the “flatlining of culture”.

Despite the usual association with peer concerns, this is not just a book for parents of teenagers. There is something here for every age group, from preschool through high school. It’s also most assuredly not just a catalog of problems, but a well-developed thesis leading to the insight necessary for solutions. Several chapters in the final section would be worth the price alone. “Discipline That Does Not Divide” is an excellent parenting primer, while “Create a Village of Attachment” will help both parents and teachers ensure that their charges profit from their school experience.

The theme of the book might be expressed in this quotation from J. Krishnamurti in the Preface: "Action has meaning only in relationship and without understanding relationship, action on any level will only breed conflict. The understanding of relationship is infinitely more important than the search for any plan of action."

This book is about your relationship with your children, and even more importantly, their relationship with you.

Published in the US as: "Hold On to Your Kids : Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers" by Neufeld & Mate 

Journal Entry 2 by Minnih from Tsawwassen, British Columbia Canada on Monday, February 16, 2004

Passed on today to a friend and fellow-parent in Tsawwassen, BC, Canada.