Welcome to Made Mindful's Monthly Book Review Book Club!
We want to share some of the literature in parenting that has molded and influenced our purposeful and ever changing mothering moments!
We will divide our book review into four sections:
- Summarization - direct quotes and messages from the author
- Explanation - some of our personal thoughts and reflections
- Application - how you can apply these teachings everyday at home
- Edification - questions that will help you reflect and discuss with your partner, family members and mama friends
Power of Positive Parenting - Dr Glenn Latham
In Power of Positive Parenting: A Wonderful Way to Raise Children by Glenn Latham we learned many poignant and impressionable takeaways.
Summarization -
* By attending to the good and desirable things our children do, we dramatically increase the likelihood that those good and desirable things will increase.
*Praise improves children and adult hearing and they become more attentive.
* The pause that refreshes is the priceless moment when we route the center of emotional gravity within us where it belongs, rather than in the social climate into which we are going.
* There is an economy in child rearing, either we remain solvent with positives, or we are forever in debt and even bankrupt with negatives.
* Profits are to business what attention is to behavior.
*Parenting rules:
- Clearly communicate expectations and behavior that will get your attention.
- Ignore inconsequential behavior.
- Selectively reinforce appropriate behavior.
- Stop and redirect inappropriate behavior stay close to your children- find more ways to praise, bond and love than critics, demand and punish.
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Explanation -
* Never say degrading or demanding things to your children or spouse and when inclined to do so, leave the room, bite your tongue and make space and time for your anger.
* Behavior is strengthened or weakened by its consequences.
* If appropriate behavior persist, parents must be prepared to change the way they have been responding to that behavior.
* Fix your environment and you’ll fix the behavior.
* Children will get your attention at any cost.
Application -
*Increase positive interactions and children will see the attention they seek comes from these positive actions and behavior.
* Create homes where children can feel joy for appropriate behavior and learn how to defend themselves against the worst of the world.
* Unless what you were about to say or do has a high probability for making things better, don’t say it and don’t do it. An ounce of don’t say it is worth a pound of I didn’t mean it.
* Think of consequence not as punishment but an application of precise, accurate, and consistent resources for future development:
1. Control your own behavior
2. Control the environment in your home
3. Watch as children start to control themselves
Edification -
* How can you use skillful application of your own control and positive communication to reinforce your child’s positive behavior?
* Four hugs a day for survival , eight hugs a day for maintenance, 12 hugs a day for growth!
-How can you use more positive physical affection to shape your child’s behavior?
* Why is it easier to build the child than repair the adult? What positive teaching methods are you using daily to construct a healthy, balanced, compassionate, and accomplished adult?
* How are you using small daily changes in quality time and environment to provide assurance that your remarkable children will ultimately remain within your value system?
Have you read Dr. Latham's works? What was your biggest take away from this book?
Find additional Positive Parenting ideas from our Motherhood Affirmation Cards!
Article by Christina Packard
Christina is the mother of 5. She is a writer and educator for Made Mindful, LLC. Along with gardening, embroidery, and playing the piano and trumpet, she finds thrills in anything DIY or craft related.
