Goodenoughmothering (ePub)

This book is a selection of short articles that appeared during a two year period as posts on the blog, goodenoughmothering.com. Author, Dr. Elaine Heffner, has been involved in parent education for many years. In this book she addresses many of the concerns of mothers in particular, and discusses many of the questions they ask her.
The issues addressed here are divided into six categories: Mother Worries, Developmental Steps, Conflicts, Feelings, About Parents and Social Pressures. For example, Mother Worries includes such topics as the wish of mothers to be perfect, the guilt they feel about their handling of their children, and the anger that is aroused by childrens provocative behavior.
Developmental Steps covers such topics as setting User Friendly Limits for children, their difficulties with transitions, and aggression. Dr. Heffner points up the role of parents in setting expectations that match childrens developmental capabilities at various stages. The focus is on parents own ability to help children over what she calls bumps in development.
The section on Conflicts discusses the confrontations that arise between parents and children due to the conflict between the wishes and needs of each. An understanding of these differences is offered as a means of helping to avoid or resolve such conflicts. The section on Feelings points up the feelings that children stir-up in parents which are a significant factor in the confrontations that arise. The ways in which parents can address childrens feelings is also addressed.
The sections About Parents and Social Pressures discusses many of the criticisms that have been leveled at parents in recent years, much of it based on developmental research, and points out the many areas in which parents need to feel comfortable using their own judgment. The book offers parents new ways in which to understand their children which can help them answer many of their own questions. Understanding, not prescriptive advice is the underlying theme of the book.