Raising Everyday Heroes: Parenting Children To Be Self-Reliant

by Elisa Medhus

Living in a culture saturated with media messages focused on fame, wealth, and beauty, it’s easy for today’s youth to rely on these external messages for guidance. As parents and role models, our natural instinct is to protect and shield our youth from these negative messages and attitudes. Unfortunately, this mode of thinking has encouraged the growing epidemic of youth helplessness. In Raising Everyday Heroes , award-winning author Dr. Elisa Medhus tackles this growing social phenomenon and inspires parents to raise tomorrow’s everyday heroes.

With its blend of humor and practical guidance, Raising Everyday Heroes

Genres: Parenting

292 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2003

About the author

Dr. Elisa Medhus is a family physician with over twenty years experience dealing with the issues that today’s families face. Although she retired from medicine to homeschool and be a full time mother to her children, she still has a large following of former patients who frequently call or drop by her home for medical advice, comfort or help. She has a gift for communicating with others, making them feel comfortable and sensing their emotional, physical and spiritual needs.

Being a mother of five children, (Kristina, Michelle, Erik, Lukas, and Annika) and wife to Rune, Dr. Medhus is uniquely suited to discuss issues concerning parents. In Raising Children Who Think for Themselves, her passion to change the world for the better by teaching children how to make self-directed choices is palpable, sincere and deep. Her work has been featured on national broadcast and print outlets including Good Morning America, The Houston Chronicle, a Seattle morning show, The Houston Post. She resides in Houston, Texas with her husband, her five children, their three dogs, and other transients from the plant and animal worlds.

Reviews

[Louisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing was just okay but I really liked the idea of helping children create a "life plan" and the detailed list of tasks of what kids are capable of doing at various age milestones. Those two sections of the book I am going to copy for my family practice.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally found this book refreshing and stimulating. Comments from other readers here about "sexist" remarks about her hubby and such--Medhus has a quirky, endearing sense of humor, and must be read as such! If you're looking for dry, pedantic reading, look elsewhere. If you want parenting tips on how to raise self-reliant children (who won't subsequently live with you in their 40's), from a renowned expert in the field, yet who imparts such wisdom in a girl-to-girl / guy-to-guy way, then you MUST read this book. Stellar. If you don't have a sense of humor and think too much into trivial things like wife/husband humor (ubiquitous among any married couples, no doubt!) then I'm not sure what planet you live on or where your sense of humor is hiding...

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Medhus' insights very useful and appreciated her stories of how she has applied them in her own family. It made everything seem more concrete... I thought she had a nice sense of humor ...poking fun at herself and her family... which made it feel like she was a real parent with flaws but who had found these strategies useful...rather than just some parenting expert that may not have actually applied the advice with his/her own children. I think already I've made some changes that I hope will help my own children to become more self-reliant.

[Davida Rosenbaum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand what she was trying to say and some of what she says makes sense and is true, however she has an overall sexist view of the world. I grew up in the era she says was autocratic and the father was the man of the house and my house was nothing like that. She makes it sound as if 100% of families were like that. If I had not had to read this for a class I would have stopped after the 3rd chapter.

[Lee Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not one quickly read. Read a chapter, apply it and then add more. I love the concepts in the book as well as the delivery of the author Elisa Medhus. She delivers her message with humor and practical application. This is a must read for anyone working with, for and/or around children.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book, but found the information really obvious.