Raising kids is hard enough as it is; throw in peers, technology, and basically the entire 21st century, and it can be overwhelming, to say the least. I’m quite happy to accept all the help I can get! And I’ve recently received help from a wonderful book that was sent my way…
There are some very interesting guidelines in Jim Gromer’s book How to Raise Great Kids. For this review, I will highlight just a few.
Freebie
“Starting today and every day moving forward, allow your kids to tell you anything at any time without getting into trouble,” Jim explains. “Allowing our children the space to tell us anything without repercussions builds a relationship of trust and allows them to feel comfortable discussing uncomfortable topics.”
The Cardboard Box
“One of the greatest toys you can give a small child is a large cardboard box. The bigger the better!” As parents, we spend thousands on our children’s latest gadgets. Why? Finding ways to give our children the freedom to explore their creativity and grow their imagination whilst having oodles of fun is more productive, builds a stronger vocabulary, and makes room for problem-solving… and it’s way cheaper!!
What They Get Away With
“The dirty little secret is that all of our kids do whatever they get away with (example: if your child yells at your spouse and doesn’t get reprimanded/punished, they’ll keep doing it).” This point really resonated with me. We are the ones who shape our children’s behaviour. Whatever we allow our children to get away with becomes the norm for them. It becomes acceptable. So we need to watch how our children speak, act, and even eat, and guide them toward acceptable behaviour.
Life isn’t fair
“The cold, hard fact is that life isn’t fair at all. Folks who are smarter, work harder, and network better than others tend to be more successful. Confidence, education, and upbringing all factor into how far your offspring will go”. I think this is a particularly difficult one for parents to deal with. We obviously want our children to have all that we can give them; however, we are actually doing them a disservice. We need to teach our children how to accept and deal with failure. They will not always get what they want, but that should never stop them from striving to reach their goal.
Attitude is Everything
What is the most important truth we can teach our kids? That attitude is everything. There are times when our children will face tough situations, and it is our responsibility to teach them that they control how those situations affect them. Life becomes more manageable when we tackle it with a positive attitude!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jim’s book How to Raise Great Kids – 101 Fun & Easy Ideas. I have only mentioned a few of my favourite points – there are many, many more. I found it easy to read, with easy applications that could be implemented immediately!
Disclaimer – One Messy Mama was asked for a review in return for a copy of How to Raise Great Kids. All opinions are my own.
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