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"How
can a parenting book help build the self esteem of
a child without first building the self esteem of
the parents?"
- Lisa Dunning, MA,
MFT
Why My
Book About Parenting Styles Is Different Than
Other Parenting
Books
Your child has done
something you believe is inappropriate, but your
spouse doesn't think it is that big of a deal. You
argue about the severity of your child's behavior,
but your spouse just doesn't see things your
way.
You ask
yourself, "Should I discipline my child? Am I
overreacting?" as you doubt your own ability to
parent when it seems that no one is on your
side.
Feeling confused
about your ability to parent, you talk to a couple
of friends or other family members, hoping to gain
support for your parenting beliefs. After gaining
support for your opinion, you feel justified and
confident that you are right. So you quickly
approach your spouse, saying "All my friends agree
with me." as proof your spouse was wrong. Only
your spouse doesn't react the way you
expected.
Instead of
saying, "You were right, honey. I don't know
what I was thinking.", your spouse responds, "I
don't care what your friends or family say and I
can't believe you shared our personal family
matters with
them!"
Learning your lesson
you decide to parent your child without talking to
your spouse unaware that you have just given your
child tremendous power. When your child gets upset
about your discipline, your worst fear is realized
when your child tells your spouse about the
discipline you decided on your own. Another
argument ensues and your spouse begins to
completely undermine your efforts to parent your
child by allowing behaviors you find completely
inappropriate.
Your child
has all the power! You and your spouse have
none!
And although you may
believe your child is happy, they are too young to
realize how damaging your inability to parent
together is to their academic development, future
relationships and future success in the real
world.
Many parents
struggle with this issue: you are not
alone.
But the reason you
and your spouse struggle with parenting together
stems from the most unlikely of places: YOUR
CHILDHOOD AND YOUR SPOUSE'S CHILDHOOD. You
see, parents develop unique parenting styles from
their own unique childhood backgrounds.
Those unique childhood experiences shape our
perception of appropriate parenting. But
your perception of what is appropriate can be very
different from that of your partner. That
conflict, if left unresolved, can have a negative
impact on your child. So when most parenting
books provide advice as if there is only one
parent raising your child, "Good Parents Bad
Parenting" provides experienced insight,
practical tips, skills, advice, games and
exercises to resolve the conflict, empowering
parents to work through their relationship and
differing parenting styles to raise happy,
responsible and successful children.
 "With more
knowledge comes greater confidence;
with
confidence comes greater self esteem;
with self
esteem, parents can more effectively
share
their parenting knowledge, confidence and self
esteem
with their
children."
- Lisa Dunning, MA, MFT
Lisa
Dunning And Her Husband Have Differing Parenting
Styles?
Lisa Dunning and her
husband, Brad, have different childhood
backgrounds, resulting in differing parenting
styles. By sharing their personal
experiences along with Lisa Dunning's experienced
insight, practical tips, skills, advice, games and
exercises, this book stands alone from other
parenting books as an inspiration to all parents
who struggle to raise their children
together. Lisa Dunning provides parents with
the tools necessary to work together as a team to
raise a healthy, responsible and successful
child. |
