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Parenting Book Club

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 - 5:30pm to 7:00pm
  • Conference Room - Administration Wing
The Parent Connection 2019 Summit selection - discover practical tools you need to transform your parenting in a positive, proven way.

About the Book 

A clinical psychologist specializing in child development and parenting, and founder of AhaParenting.com, Markham turns some commonly touted advice on its head, but not without first building a convincing case for her assertion that peaceful parenting is based upon unconditional love and connection. The book is divided into three "big ideas": regulating yourself; fostering connection; and coaching, not controlling.

In Part One, Markham helps parents learn how to be mindful, patient, and manage anger. She then moves on to the importance of connection, the cornerstone of her parenting approach. A secure connection, Markham maintains, helps a child feel safe enough to explore the world, while pushing emotional independence creates needier children in the long run. With preventive maintenance such as "special time," in which the parent gives the child 100% of his/her attention for an allotted period, Markham lights the way to better-behaved kids. In Part Three, she reveals how punishment-including the popular use of "time-out"-actually promotes bad behavior and lowers self-esteem. Instead, the author shows parents how to offer "loving guidance." She also advises avoiding the "slippery slope of disconnection" linked to "self soothing" which, she says, teaches babies that their needs will not be met and increases stress hormones. In this compassionate yet practical text Markham deftly leads parents down a gentler, kinder path to raising emotionally intelligent and happier children. Agent, Rebecca Friedman

About the Club 

This club will meet on Monday, October 28, and Wednesday, December 4, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. and is facilitated by local professionals:  Beth Wendler, Eddie Konold, Kim Schulz, and Tom Valand.

The author will be speaking at the Parent Connection Summit on November 15th. (To register for this free event: www.youthinroutt.org)

This club is open to anyone interested in participating, and is designed to be inclusive, supportive, and meet the needs and interests of the group. Feel free to attend either or both of the discussions. Limited to 15 participants per meeting. Sign up at the circulation desk, call 879-0240, or use the registration button at the top of this page.

Books are available at the front desk and e-books and e-audio are available online.