The Dynamics of Powerful Parenting (ePub)

The Dynamics of Powerful Parenting is a book about power, thepower held by a parent to shape the development of a child, and thepower of a child to either accept or reject those efforts.Often, when things are not working well for parents with theirchildren, they will continue doing the same things, yet with ever morevigor. Usually, the result will be more of the same, only worse. Asecret to understanding the dynamics of many human behaviors lies in theparadox of the Chinese Finger Puzzle (aka: Chinese Handcuff). TheChinese finger puzzle is a tube woven from bamboo shoots that is severalinches long and about the diameter of a person's fingers; true to itsnature, the tube will narrow as its ends are pulled. Thus, when the tubeis slipped over the ends of fingers or thumbs on opposing hands, thesubject's efforts to pull his or her fingers apart are met withincreasing resistance from the device.So it is with much of being human. The thing that people wish toavoid most is the very thing that results from their efforts to do so.Dynamics is a book written with this paradox in mind. It is abook of insights about parenting that turns upside down many of thethings that are currently held dear in "traditional" parenting efforts.It is a book that downplays the use of punishment, but never overlooksthe need for discipline and responsibility. Dynamics encourages parentsto think about what they are doing, how they are doing it, and what arethey are experiencing as a result, then provides useful tools forchanging undesired outcomes. It is a book that can produce positiveresults that will benefit generations yet unborn.