Monday, January 4, 2010

Before We Get Started

The first time I tried to read Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, about three and a half years ago, I didn't make it past the first chapter. I wasn't ready for what it had to say. Because I was still steeped in the ideas that parents and kids were locked in a battle of wills from which the parents must emerge victorious at all costs (thanks a bunch, Dr. Dobson), I read this chapter with those lenses on and I truly did not get it at all. Thankfully, as God began to change my heart regarding parents, children, and the purpose of discipline, this chapter made so much more sense to me and I went on to read the entire book. And I'm glad I did; it is now one of my favorite parenting books.

I won't lie; I still struggle a bit with the first chapter, partially because of some of the terminology used. The Seven Powers for Self-Control, the Seven Basic Discipline Skills, the Seven Values for Living. Sorry, but that bit is a little too cheesy for my tastes. However, if we can look past those titles and see what is actually being said, we will get a lot out of it.

I thought it would also be a good idea to give a little information about the author, Becky Bailey. She has a PhD in early childhood education and developmental psychology, is the founder of Loving Guidance, Inc., and developed the Conscious Discipline program. Through her books and programs, she has worked to help parents make internal changes in order to more effectively parent their children.

My next post will cover the first chapter of Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline. Because this is a book study/review and I want to keep my posts brief enough to be easily readable, I will focus on the main points and will throw in my own commentary. By all means, check the book out and read it for yourself if you'd like to go more in-depth. ;-)

No comments:

Post a Comment