Parental As Anything

by Maggie Dent

A common-sense guide to raising happy, healthy kids - from toddlers to tweens


How much screen time should you let your children have? How and when do you talk about sex? What can you do when your kid throws a tantrum? Why should you let your children just play?

Maggie Dent, queen of common-sense parenting, has answers to your real-world parenting dilemmas.

Focusing on the most engaged-with topics from her popular ABC Parental As Anything podcast, Maggie tells us what the experts have to say, relates the experiences of other parents, and offers her own reassuring guidance to provide practical solutions to the challenges parents and caregivers face today.

This book will give you the means to be the parent you'd like to be, and help you in your quest to raise happy, healthy, thriving, resilient children.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Childrens

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2021

About the author

Commonly known as the ‘queen of common sense’, Maggie Dent has become one of Australia's favourite parenting authors and educators. She has a particular interest in the early years, adolescence and resilience, and is an undisputed 'boy champion'.

Maggie is the author of eight major books, including the bestselling 2018 release Mothering Our Boys and her 2020 release From Boys to Men. She hosts the ABC podcast, Parental As Anything. In July 2021, she is publishing a book based on the podcast called Parental As Anything: A common-sense guide to raising happy, healthy kids – from toddlers to tweens.

Maggie is a dedicated advocate to quietly changing lives in our families and communities. She is the mother of four sons and a very grateful grandmother.

Reviews

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

You don't need to strive for perfection, be s good enough parent where 80% of the time you're awesome and 20% of the time you slip up. Be firm but loving!

[Addie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Thoughts:
- I listened to this as an audiobook.
- Picked this up out of curiosity and also because I frequently feel like I have no idea how to interact with very small children.
- It's an easy listen, being conversational in tone and layperson friendly. There's breadth rather than depth. Seems to align with much of what I've been learning about the stages of child development. Not sure if I wholeheartedly agree with absolutely everything, but overall it seems alright.

[Melinda Nankivell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful parenting book, a companion book to the podcast though so only offered a little extra. Good for a refresher of certain episodes though

[Sunshine Biskaps · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Parental as Anything" by Maggie Dent

Maggie Dent is a wealth of knowledge on the topic of raising children to be the best versions of themselves. Her approach to parenting is common-sense, yet some people need a bit of nudge to open up their eyes. I've read one of her books about raising boys and this one is very similar. She is gentle and gives tips to ensure that children are heard and their feelings and emotions are validated. I love the idea of children having lighthouses to turn to in times of need. I endeavour to be available as a lighthouse figure in the lives of all the children in my life. Dent is a must-read author for anyone hoping to raise little people into balanced and confident bigger people.

[Janelle Cavarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This didn’t contain anything ground breaking to me, however I did enjoy the reminders about connection before correction, meeting their storm with your calm and some tips and tricks to tackle tricky topics as they get older.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book so helpful. Maggie talks through a number of issues and gives common sense, practical suggestions to guide you through each one. No one is perfect all the time - give your kids your best you have at the time, remembering that 80% of ‘good’ parenting is enough and that we all have bad days. Provide safe opportunities for risk, responsibility for chores from when they can walk and firm boundaries to operate within. Read and reread - you will want to!

[Sariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read many other parenting books, but this one really stood out. I bought it last year but only read it this year, and boy, did I need to. Maggie is such a good role model, and reading the book made me feel somewhat at peace with my upbringing.

The book is filled with practical advice and relatable stories that really hit home. Maggie's approach to parenting is both compassionate and insightful, making it a must read for anyone looking to improve their parenting skills."Parental as Anything" is a fantastic resource that offers reassurance and clarity in the often chaotic world of parenting. I highly recommend it!

Maggie really challenges the older generation's belief that children should be seen and not heard. She emphasises the importance of being both seen and heard, which is so refreshing. Maggie brings being seen and heard, and she’s such a wonderful human. Her perspective truly highlights her as a wonderful human who understands the value of every voice. It's great to see someone advocating for this shift in thinking!

[Loz703 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good info and information from reputable sources (not just Maggie Dent) on various topics of parenting and child development. I liked that there were recommendations to further information on websites and other books. She included interviews with parents which were interesting particularly on the topic of separation and grief and loss.

[trijnewijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meer een bevestiging dat we over het algemeen vrij goed bezig zijn dan dat er echt nieuwe informatie in zat, maar dat is ook wel eens fijn. Alleen jammer dat er niet zoveel bruikbaars in zat over het opvoeden van neurodivergente kinderen.

[Jedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapters on navigating porn, online world and death were relevant and insightful to current era, some good ideas on how to approach the hard stuff. So... I have to be worried about exposure to hardcore porn by accident as early as 6 years old nowadays...omg.

[Naomi McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want Maggie to be my adopted Auntie ♡

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A common sense approach to parenting that I will return to read, again and again.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t learn much that was new and it skimmed over the areas I’m currently looking for advice on, but it’s essentially a thorough and helpful overview of modern parenting strategies 👍 3.5 stars.

[Annaleise · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really helpful guide to carious ages and stages. Maggie Dent has a great, practical approach which I find particularly helpful (though I do think the chapter on food/meal times needs an update).

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable and practical tips for parenting. It’s easy to read and I found myself revisiting parts to help it sink in while I “unlearned” things from when I was growing up.

[Ginny Yurich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers so many pertinent parenting topics!

[trammartin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a first-time mum, I found it really helpful to learn about the 20/80 rule of parenting. It means that I don't have to be the perfect mum all the time. I've started to focus on playing with my child and encouraging their independence by allowing them to make choices, like picking their meals, and getting them involved in simple chores as soon as they can.

When my toddler became a picky eater, I was reassured by parenting expert Maggie Dent to look at the overall amount of food they eat throughout the week instead of stressing over what they eat each day. Being a parent of a very spirited child has its challenges right from the start. A key takeaway for me has been to just be there for my child during tough moments because they may not fully regulate their emotions until they're around 20 years old.

I know my parenting journey is going to be a long one, and I'll admit I'm a bit scared about what's ahead, like how to talk to them about sensitive topics and teach them to be tough and aware of the world. But I feel prepared for it. I've even changed how I react to my baby's tantrums. I hope to break the cycle of emotional struggles I experienced growing up. My parents were great, but they didn't really communicate with me about feelings, and I wish they had.

[Keeley Schroder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book, it was very easy to read. My favourite takeaway message is now my mantra, 80% of the time do your best and 20% of the time, it’s okay to just survive.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book really interesting, and it cemented the "best practices" that I already do.
The only thing I would comment on is that Dent writes about family violence with women as the victims, disregarding the statistics that an equal number of men are victims of DV at the hands of their partners.

[Lesley Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very best parenting guide

All the amazing experts plus Maggie of course all in one book! All the reccomended techniques and tools practically in one place! Thank you Maggie!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Agne Bukaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it, answered so many questions i had 😍 highly recommend

[tegan ✩ cozywtea]

practical, evidence based, filled with common sense — such a helpful read