Daddy Newbie Adventures in Fatherhood
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Please take a look at the bottom of this post. Enter to win a free copy of this book: How to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children! The giveaway runs from August 12-18!
From the first moments we see our children (and hold them in our arms), we want to make sure that we are doing whatever we can to give them the best shot at a healthy, happy life.
We’re also human. We make mistakes. But, there are tools that offer great reminders of the little things that make a huge difference in the lives of our kids (and also contributes to a better, more healthy, family and home environment). I have to say that I’ve read lots of books on parenting over the last few years. I’ve also read tons of articles. I’ve spoken with other parents. And, every resource has a slightly different take on what factors make for the ideal parent-child relationship.
In How To Raise Emotionally Healthy Children, Dr. Newmark highlights five needs children have. And, as he explains, “The concept of five needs of children makes the parenting task easier. Children have these five needs throughout their lives. So, although children at different ages and stages of development may act differently, have different problems, and express their personalities in particular ways, these five needs remain constant.”
The five critical needs of children are what Dr. Newmark calls “key to developing an emotionally healthy child”:
- Need to feel respected.
- Need to feel important.
- Need to feel accepted.
- Need to feel included.
- Need to feel secure.
While you may have read about these needs in other books, Dr. Newmark also does a really good job of discussing why all these things are essential for every child, what you can do to ensure that these needs are met, and how these factors evolve through the growth and development of every child. The book is a great parenting tool because, as Dr. Newmark explains: “It gives parents continuous practice in relating to children in emotionally healthy ways. It provides a focus and guidelines for their everyday interactions with children and helps them parent with confidence and consistency.” And, ultimately, “when children sense that parents know what they are doing, it adds to the youngsters’ sense of security.”
I highly recommend adding this book to your arsenal of resources. When you have a better understanding of your child’s critical needs, you’ve got the basis for great fathering/parenting–that is forward-thinking and action-oriented. I would liken fatherhood/parenting to a 5-tool baseball player or one of those infamous tools in MacGyver’s-Swiss army knife. I’d say that having great tools to learn (and live) by is never a bad thing. I believe this book is a great tool/resource to have.
As I’ve said before, we all have more to learn on this journey in father/parenthood.
The author was kind enough to offer a giveaway to you, my readers. Please enter to win:
Thanks for sharing your views on this book, looks like it’s well worth reading so I’ll try to check it out.
I think it is a good read and deserves a look. I believe anything that can help you along the path of fatherhood/parenthood, is always welcome.