Smarty Book: The Blessing of a Skinned Knee

By Jenny D, Charlotte Smarty Pants

I've never been one to read parenting books. There's really no reason other than I rarely find the time to read. But I just finished reading a wonderful book called, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. It was recommended to the parents of my daughter's preschool from the director. She mentioned it as a good common sense parenting book, and I agree.

This book is written by Wendy Mogel, Phd. who uses "Jewish teachings to raise self-reliant children." She gives guidance on how to raise self-disciplined, appreciative and resourceful children. She even spends a chapter on how to turn your children's worst traits into their greatest attributes. But what I enjoyed most was her ability to focus on everyday parenting problems.

I found the book to be reassuring of my parenting in some ways, but it also made me rethink how I do other things. I appreciated her perspective on the importance of family. The fact that children are a part of the family unit, and not our sole focus. She reminds us that it is our job as parents to raise self-reliant children, which can be difficult because we want our children to need and depend on us as mothers. She encourages parents to let their children be responsible for their own homework, not to over-stimulate them with too many activities and find time for your family to enjoy each other.

Although I am a Christian, I learned quite a bit about Jewish practices and traditions that can be valuable for parenting. Her insights can easily apply to our household and align with our family's lifestyle. I highly recommend this read to anyone who wants to "touch up" on their parenting skills.

Speaking of skinned knees, my eleven month old is up and walking. I can't believe it. How did this happen so quickly? What happened to my baby that I could plop down on the floor while I picked up the house? I have to admit that she looks adorable walking around like Frankenstein and then quickly plopping on her backside!

But back to the review; please let us know if anyone has any other books that you would recommend.

Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM