Courageous Parents, Confident Kids: Letting Go So You Both Can Grow

I stand by the side of the side of the pool watching as my 12 year old son makes his choppy way across a lap that seems miles long. Sure, he can swim well enough to not drown-- but this is his first summer on a swim team with children who have been on the team for years. Once he's made his way across, he gives me the sad look that hasn't changed since toddlerhood. My heart melts and I instinctively gesture for him to come to me, to let me rescue him from this daunting experience. But he shakes his head and gets back in the pool for the next round. His courage is breath-taking; now, it's time for me to summon some of my own. I find the bravery I need from my recent reading of Courageous Parents, Confident Kids. Though I originally considered this book to be a terrific read for a parent more worried about other kinds of safety risks, I realize that this book has been written for a parent like me; it's made it ok for me to step back while my son places himself in a situation that is awkward and uncomfortable. Courageous parents, I've learned from this collection of sage advice, are those who can let their kids be who they are. Now he can be and I can, finally, breathe.

Finally, a thoughtful book from a group of experts who advise us to dump the rat race of over-scheduling our kids and create a more sustainable path instead. No cookie cutter solutions are given to escape this hectic lifestyle. Instead, parents are presented with a combination of encouragement and practical skills that will help each parent craft her or his own particular style. It is really valuable to be guided through a process of determining what is important to each of us, to focus our family's lives and time on what really matters, and let go of worrying about the rest! In addition, we are asked to teach our children to make good decisions for themselves so they can thrive with confidence. I really appreciate this refreshingly honest, practical and supportive guide to help me navigate my whole family through today's overwhelming parenting landscape.

Amy Tiemman has compiled a truly remarkable book for ALL parents. She's gathered some of the top experts who share their insights on how to loosen up and enjoy parenthood. As she says, "Parenting will teach us to make peace with chaos and unpredictability like no other experience, and it takes courage to face the truth that we can't control everything." I love the honesty in this book and the challenge we are given to release some of the control we force on our children. "To shed our overprotective parenting ways, we have to become conscious of what truly serves our kids' needs and develop the courage to put aside some of the things that may feel good to us as parents but don't serve our children well in the long run". Well said. I think many of us agree theoretically, but how do we do it? That's where the experts come in and they share loads of insightful information. Enjoy the book and "enjoy the journey" of parenting!

As a mom of two young girls, I'm constantly on the lookout for advice that will help me raise them to be strong, secure, and confident. (I let them pick out their own clothes, and sometimes even something that minor takes a lot of courage on my part!) But this book goes beyond the superficial and provides in depth tools and perspective on how to "let go" in order to allow our kids to grow into the kind of people we want them to be. One passage that I re-read numerous times states " A close relationship with our kids is a gift, but whose needs are being served when we don't let our young adult children grow up and away? An essential, painful truth of parenthood is that our ultimate job is to make ourselves `unnecessary'" ... This rang true especially after all the recent media talk about the "Millenial" generation - who are now in college or just joining the working world. Employers and professors state that these young adults are having a hard time coping with their independence after a lifetime of being overly coddled by their parents. I can sometimes feel myself slipping into this parenting style, and I have to remind myself to pull back and let my kids do things for themselves, even if it means they will fail. This is a fantastic book and one that I will refer to often. I'm also planning to buy a few extra copies to give to my mommy friends on Mother's Day. I highly recommend Courageous Parents, Confident Kids to anyone who wants to be challenged to take a bolder approach with their parenting style.