Less Parenting, More Joy (ePub)

Part memoir, part polemic, Design Mom blogger Gabrielle Blair and her husband, educator Ben Blair-parents to six kids ages 12-25-offer up an unexpected parenting guide that encourages overwhelmed parents to let go of tired expectations of what it means to be a "good parent," and instead lean into adventure and embrace uncertainty (for their sake, and their kids').

As parents to six kids, ages 12-25, Gabrielle and Ben Blair have been raising kids for over two decades. Through the years, they've charted their own unconventional path: working from home before remote work was a thing; uprooting their kids four, five, six times - including a move to France where they enrolled in local schools without knowing the language. It's been a unique parenting journey characterized by experimentation, trial and error, decisions prompted by financial or psychological necessity, varying levels of anxiety and tension, despair, and hope. This unique path turned out to be fertile soil for growing independent, resilient, and creative kids, and a family that is genuinely close and truly enjoys each other's company.

With this book they share how they did it, and how we can too: by letting go of tired expectations of what it means to be a good parent (focus less on grades and more on seeing your kid for who they are); by accepting that the old rules won't necessarily apply in the future (changes in higher ed and career-building are evolving at a rapid pace) and instead focus on making your time with your kids one of connection, adventure, shared projects, creativity and joy. And it doesn't require moving to France! Instead, it's about creating a family life that embraces change and uncertainty instead of running from it. One encourages shared experiences and adventure and values connection above all else. Hard things will still happen - it's life, after all - and goal is never perfection, but resilient kids and a family bond that that can bend, but not break.