Sharing An Excerpt From My Book

Happy Tuesday!! I have been hard at work finishing my book and I am very close! I had the privilege of reading an excerpt from my book this past Saturday in my writing group and got some great feedback. So, I wanted to share this latest update with you. I hope you enjoy it and I would love to hear your thoughts.

Introduction

Being a parent is the most difficult job anyone will ever have on this planet. As a parent, the choices and opinions expressed have an impact on our children. It will shape who they are and what they become and how they respond and behave in their world.

There’s no handbook or list of dos and don’ts. There is no oath or special handshake or even a test to identify our competence as parents. I often think of the movie Parenthood when Tod says, “You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car – hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they’ll let any butt-reaming a**hole be a father.”

Later in the movie, the grandmother says, “Some like the merry-go-round, but where do you get with that-just round and round. I like the roller coaster.” Well, that’s how I see parenting. It is one huge roller coaster and if you don’t settle in and buckle up, you’re in for one hell of a bumpy ride!

As my children grew, so did my wisdom. This book is a tool for anyone responsible for guiding the life of a child. Consider it a resource with helpful hints for you wherever you are on this parenting journey. I am inviting you into my home and we are sitting at my kitchen table having a great conversation over a cup of coffee.

With each life lesson, you will find my explanation for each quote along with personal stories of both wins and losses inspired by events from my childhood and experiences as a parent. In addition, I have included questions for self-reflection. I am confident that these life lessons will help you develop a parenting style to raise kind, compassionate, caring and confident children. I want you to see yourself as a role model.

Each lesson is a nugget of gold that I have received from my parents and have repeated to my children hundreds of times. It is my hope that this wisdom will be imprinted in their lives and that they will pass it on to their children. These lessons are ones that I will continue to reinforce in my children until my last breath.

Through the years, I have used daily quote boards, put notes in their lunch boxes, post its on mirrors and now text them all the time with words of encouragement. It’s important to keep my message consistent and let them know how deeply I feel about each and every lesson I have taught them.

I know you will enjoy this book and you will find unexpected treasures and words of wisdom to inspire you!