You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break

by Carla Naumburg

Of course you think you’re doing a sh*tty job. Every parent does. It’s pretty much a byproduct of our society, with its incessant demands coupled with the in-your-face competitiveness parents see on social media. Unfortunately, the pandemic only made things worse, as parents juggled the stresses of helping their kids navigate online schooling while they also had to work from home. All of which makes Carla Naumburg’s new book utterly necessary. Author of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids, with 149,000 copies in print, Naumburg delivers her message right up front— You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent —that all parents need to hear and believe in. And she does it with her singular understanding, relatably funny voice, and keen insights.

You don’t react calmly to every situation? That doesn’t make you a sh*tty parent. You’d rather hide in the back of the closet than play dolls with your child (because you hate dolls)—nope, doesn’t mean you’re a sh*tty parent. The fact is, great parenting is not the same thing as perfect parenting. Great parenting starts with true self-compassion, the kind that means you don’t judge yourself. Harnessing this self-compassion is the key to giving yourself a break and embracing your best qualities as a parent. There are four evidence-based elements of self-compassion—noticing, connection, curiosity, and compassion of course—and Naumburg gives tangible steps for how to use each to help parents reduce their anxiety, trust their instincts, move past the guilt and become a calmer, more confident parent. Which, in the end, benefits your child as much as you.
 

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help, Mental Health, Audiobook, Psychology, Unfinished

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2022

About the author

Carla Naumburg, PhD, is a clinical social worker, writer, and speaker. She is the author of four parenting books, and lives outside of Boston with her family.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

You are not a Sh*tty Parent is an amazingly comforting self help book teaching parents how to practive self-compassion and give themselves a break. Being a parent doesn't come with a handbook and we all feel we're doing a terrible job or lack confidence in our parenting at sometime. This book helps you to analyse things, set boundaries and recognise that not everyone is as perfect as they appear when parenting.
This book has some really good advise and some great scenarios to help you understand each chapter.
I felt like I was talking to a trusted friend when reading this and this book helped me feel calm and grounded.
I definitely recommend this to every parent out there!

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break
by
Carla Naumburg

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent. I am a self professed struggling parent, and have always second guessed myself. I am always so afraid to ask for help. You know, because I am a nurse, a healthcare professional, and on the surface I look like I got it together. Also, I would never ask my parents’ advise - certainly we have all told ourselves, I will never ever be like my parents at some point or another.

You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent is an enormous bear hug for all parents. It is compassionate, loving, and understanding. Carla Naumburg recognizes the inner struggle, the lack of self-confidence, all parents have so instead of a lecture on how to be a good parent, she starts with having parents embrace their best qualities. I knew just from reading the introduction that I would be in good hands taking advice from someone that understands self-compassion.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read, review, and give myself a pat in the back for a job well done. Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs ever! As parents we will make mistakes, which leads to anxiety and a moment of freaking out. But this wonderful guide will offer tangible advice, actionable items, and most of all in a way that will forge a calmer and more confident parent we all are.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Workman Publishing Company, for the advance reading copy.

I have been searching for guidebooks on parenting and books that would help parents in their everyday routine. And I just got the advance reading copy of this book! Feeling blessed!

I love how the cover, the extra parts of the title and how the contents/chapters have been carefully planned. Totally commendable.

Before going to the main content, I would highly suggest you to read the introduction. I already got so much information and an inner sense of calm-comfort from just this part. It sets the perfect tune before you actually dive into the main content.

It's so much fun reading this book though there's not much fun getting freaked out and anxious on a daily basis for parents in the real world.
However, I say reading such books actually helps. Yes, it does.

First, it will actually make you take out some precious 'productive' time for yourself. Duh, reading is a productive activity. It is.

Second, when you read someone is as freaked out as you in a similar situation it brings us a sense of comfort and actually helps us calm down. This book provides a lot of scenarios that would make you see it.

Third, you will feel like you're talking to a trusted friend. Like that friend who would give a damn when you are happy but would leave everything to listen to you whenever you're not okay.

Also, there's a bunch of book recommendations for further reading given towards the end. Really appreciate it.

A good, fun, helpful read.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book came at the perfect time for me. "When..?" you ask? After a less than stellar few days of feeling like a sh*tty parent, of course. There was a lot in here that is just nice to hear; affirmation that you're doing the best you can, you're functioning under less than ideal conditions, burnt out, chaos is normal, and that you are not a bad parent because of any of it. (The chaos is normal part is so simple but also... mindblowing??)

My main takeaway is that we need to be more compassionate with ourselves. If you're even picking this book up, there's evidence that you are a caring parent who wants to do better. I also liked, and have used, the authors technique of using loving kindness to send love to myself and others to clear my mind and fake it 'til I make it: May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be safe, may you live with ease, may you not be on the receiving end of my epic sh*t loss. ;)

Keep this book on your shelf. Highlight the crap out of it. Pull it out when you need a reminder that you're doing your best. And keep your chin up, moms & dads. It's hard out there.

[Kimberly Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS. It was exactly what I needed. Her words of logic and compassion and kindness helps me so much to stop beating myself up. She was so funny and I soaked up every chapter and learned a ton.

Disclaimer for language and difference in worldview. I did not agree with everything.

Notes:
38- Let go of the thought that everything is my fault. There are things beyond my control
56- Step back from the chaos and don’t try to solve every problem
61- Self compassion is not self pity. I often am wallowing so bad that I can’t see any other possibilities or perspectives.
65- Take care of, don’t fix yourself. Tend to your wounds and just do your best.
66- Be your own kind friend. Speak words of life not death to yourself. This seems so obvious but I don’t do it. I am so mean to myself.
89- Our feelings are like the weather. They come and go and are sometimes unpredictable.
111- Don’t be scared alone. Bring someone in who loves you
167- Examples of kind things to say to ourselves
174- I need kindness and compassion sand forgiveness. I don’t need to be fixed.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Are Not A Sh*tty Parent is a wonderful and insightful look into parenting without guilt. It guides you and gives examples of way to break free from the self doubt and guilt that comes with parenting. One of the best parenting guides I have ever read. Hands down.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.


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[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It makes you feel okay if you are not 'perfect' I am tired of books telling me how to be a perfect parent! I appreciate how good this book makes me feel as a parent after reading it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

[Jonathan Riedel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my first self-help book (received as a gift) and, if this is what self-help books are, definitely my last. I took it open-mindedly and closed it with tremendous relief that it was over. Was it this book, or just the genre? Impossible to know.

This book was basically a mishmash of metaphors, mostly awkward or mixed, and 1,000 separate examples of kids acting like kids to set up how parents can react poorly. It gave confusing and contradictory advice (engage in self-care in whatever way you want! But not like that!), then told us it was ok if we couldn’t process that right now. It was folksy and casual to a fault, with curse words littering the page (with the exception of the f word, which was replaced with a nauseating “freaking” about 150 times).

It desperately needed an editor. After all the arrows flinging in the forest, mystical Courtneys giving their phone number, dubious, ahistorical suggestions about past society, and beach days gone awry, the whole book could be summarized in a few sentences. “Don’t blame yourself for your kids’ shortcomings. Society has unreasonable expectations about parenthood. Be nice to yourself.” Fine lessons, but this could have been an email.

Should I have seen this coming from the title? Maybe. Now I know to avoid this section of the bookstore forever.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERY PARENT SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. FULL STOP.

[Danielle T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to self-compassion and mindfulness in grad school when I was spiraling to finish, and it turned out to be a key part of alleviating decades of self-judgement and depression. It didn't immediately take, but I'd never allowed thoughts the space to simply be, and examine them with compassion.

So, it's unsurprising to see these applied to the stressful situations that'll arise as a parent. While the first thing to come to mind is my friend Paul Bowers' blog on swears for credibility, You Are Not a Shitty Parent is a kind, friendly introduction to self-compassion and how to apply it to yourself and your family. While people have parented for, well, millennia, that doesn't necessarily make it easy or intuitive and it's really hard to not feel like a failure (I imagine, anyway- this is still mostly hypothetical for me currently), but it's okay to allow yourself grace, and give yourself the space to examine where those feelings come from and how to be kind to yourself when navigating.

Like... it does come across a little hippie woo but! Reframing this as "don't talk to yourself this way, you wouldn't talk to a friend like that" has been extremely helpful in pausing to reconsider my own negative self-talk and it'll be SO incredibly helpful to foster that curiosity/kindness mindset in kiddo early on. I remember intensely judging myself for perceived failings as early as second grade, and I don't want that for my kid(s).

[Julie Charbonnier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book - I wish I had a copy when my child was born. I love the way the author writes, it feels like an old friend chatting with you. Carla has a funny, laid back writing style that makes this book a joy to read. Right off the bat, Carla has really important advice on how to be compassionate towards yourself as a parent, using vivid analogies. This book has really changed my mindset about how I parent, and change my outlook on my role and "performance" as a parent. This books breaks down nebulous concepts like self-compassion so that real parents can be kinder to themselves, and in turn, become better parents. I think even non-parents would benefit from reading this, really anyone who is anxious and very hard on themselves! This is a life changing book!

[Elizabeth Mellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Workman Publishing Group for the ARC of this!

This was an easy to take in, short and sweet, guide to self-compassion as a parent. I struggled with the author’s premise that NO ONE is a shitty parent, as I continue to recover from my childhood trauma, but I can see the frame of reference she’s using for that even if I’m not ready to consider it. It seemed to have reasonable advice for what to do. I liked the anecdotes to make it more clear, and I wish she’d used more of those.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Carla Naumburg's attitude toward parenting. Her first book, "How To Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids", is my favorite parenting book. This one builds off of that. The basic idea is, "Yeah, we all screw up with our kids, and that's ok. Here's what to do if help avoid it." Her writing style is conversational sprinkled with the occasional curse word, which I love.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this author's other book and I've also interviewed her as a source for articles that I wrote. So of course I was interested in reading her newest one.

I really enjoyed this book (and her other one). Her writing style makes you feel like you are talking to a friend. This makes it more interesting and engaging that most self-help parenting books. She also provides science-backed actionable advice that all parents could benefit from using. I highly recommend this book to all parents.

[Maggie Marton]

I joined a moms' book club that focuses on parenting, growth mindset, etc., and this was the November selection. The book felt light on content, but it was nice to read a realistic, kind take on parenting. The real value to a book like this--to me, anyway--is the discussion that emerges in real life. I learn more from other moms and am glad I read it for that reason.

[Kristen McBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew. I let go of a lot of the unrealistic expectations I had for myself about being a perfect mother. Of course I’d heard all of it before and understood that it is an unattainable goal, but something about the way Carla Naumburg puts it makes it sink in.

[Barbara Rahll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! If radical compassion is your goal, give this a read. If you're a parent that needs to feel like a beloved friend is giving you moral support, a blanket, and a cup of tea, YOU NEED to read this book. If adult language is not your jam (and it's mine), practice compassion for the author and read it anyway.

[January]

You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break by Carla Naumburg, PhD
220-page Kindle Ebook

Genre: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Adult

Featuring: Shitty Parent Syndrome, Self-Compassion, Metaphors, Repetitive Language and Ideas, Don't Blame Yourself

Rating as a movie: R for excessive swearing and metaphors containing violence

Quotes: "But here’s the thing that most folks don’t realize: Self-compassion is the strategy that will help us find the solution, or at least the best way through the storm."

"Sometimes you cross the line. Hitting your kids. Repeatedly saying cruel, hurtful, abusive things to them. Drinking or using drugs to the point that it’s interfering with your ability to show up for your kids and take care of them. When that’s the case, it doesn’t mean that you’re a shitty parent or a shitty person. It just means you don’t have the information, support, and resources to do better right now."

"This is the part where some of you are thinking, yeah, OK, but what about the Super-Duper Shitty Parents out there? The ones who are horribly abusive and neglectful and legitimately suck at parenting? This is an important point, because there are absolutely folks who make terrible parenting choices and treat their children really badly. But I will never, ever call them Shitty Parents. My goal—as a clinical social worker, mother, and person on this planet—is to help folks grow and heal and become more engaged, empathic, and effective parents. And telling someone they’re a Shitty Parent is never, ever going to achieve that. So, yes, there are parents out there who need a huge amount of help and support, but maybe instead of labeling them, we can get curious about what they need, or at the very least, offer them a whole lot of compassion?"

"Whether we play a role in causing our own chaos or it comes flying in out of nowhere, it complicates our lives and leaves us feeling sad and angry and confused and anxious. To top it all off, it feels extra bad because we’ve been raised to believe that our lives and our parenting should be calm, cool, and collected, even when we have a freaking arrow hanging out of our hip. *cough* bullshit *cough*"

My rating: DNF @ page 31, 11 pages into chapter 1

My thoughts:🔖Page 20 of 220 Ch. 1 Crap Happens and Then We Make It Worse - I've only read the introduction. I didn't realize this was the sequel to another book that's been on my TBR forever. This book may not be for me, but I'm going to try to read it anyway. I'm already annoyed by the excessive sugarcoating.
🔖29, 9 pages into Ch. 1 - It's not that this book sucks. I just feel like the author is talking to me like I'm a four-year-old and it's not worth it since I don't relate to half her metaphors and I think the subject matter is one that no longer applies to me. I think this would have been an okay book to read in my early twenties but I feel I am past this phase of parenting so I do not relate to it. I've always felt very confident in my parenting skills and these outlandish scenarios are on my nerves. I may continue this book, it's pretty short, but I'm stopping right here just in case I don't so, I don't waste my time reading the additional 13 pages of this chapter.

Why I quit: I finished the rest of that section, so 2 more pages, but I wasn't going for the end of the chapter. You know how you come across the YA book that you realize you might be too old to read this particular one, that is how I felt about this parenting book I am too old for this book. Half of this advice is BS and the metaphors are moronic and I'm a metaphor person. I should have known when in the introduction she says YOU are not a shitty parent, even if you're abusive, then she goes on to say that there are NO shitty parents, including the ones that are horribly abusive and neglectful, so those people who torture and abandoned their kids are getting the same not shitty pass. There is no bar to reach for, just people with enough support and who need a whole lot of compassion. I feel like her next book could be Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sociopaths: Still Not Sh*tty Parents, Don't Let Them Blame You! The hiking and arrow metaphors are ridiculous, reading them hurt my head. It's like she's rambling. What I read so far literally sounds like an 8-year-old or someone in a manic state trying to get their point across. Between the you can do no wrong it's society's fault sugarcoating and the repetitive rambling I just couldn't go on, and at this point, I would love to continue just to see how bad it can get and give it a deserved negative to review and hopefully save a reader's time. However, I'm saving my own time now and maybe some readers want to hear this crap.

Recommend to others?: Absolutely not, but that's just my opinion.

[Minna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Workman Publishing, and Ms. Naumburg for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I read, and very much enjoyed, Ms. Naumburg’s previous work, How Not to Lose Your Sh*t With Your Kids. This book (You Are Not A Sh*tty Parent), was also good, if not quite as strong as the first one.

Primarily this book addressed having compassion and kindness for one’s self as a parent, and for one’s kids. There are some general strategies for ways to impose kindness and compassion on yourself if you’re not in the habit of doing so. The author’s first book focused on the author’s suggestions for strategies to manage reactionary behavior in communication with kids. One such strategy is to be kind, patient, and compassionate to yourself; I’m guessing that was difficult for a lot of people because this book focuses exclusively on that. I felt that the first book was a little stronger because it gave more practical examples of situations and scenarios between the parent and the child, whereas this one was more general and focused more on the parent’s feelings and mindset. The content was a tad repetitive. That being said, I do think that the book had a very important message: YOU ARE DOING YOUR BEST. YOU ARE NOT A BAD PARENT. PARENTING IS HARD. The author made some excellent points about relative social isolation of parents nowadays; we are all under the impression that everyone else has it all together, and we are the only ones struggling.

I work in a public facility where there are lots of kids and parents so I am lucky enough (I guess) to see firsthand that this is not the case. I see plenty of caregivers/parents/etc having tough times. In a way this is reassuring to me because, as the author says, it’s clear I’m in a community of people who are all facing their own challenges. Many people, the author says, feel isolated, only living their own experience, seeing only glowing social media posts that make them feel like they are the only ones struggling. If you are a person who feels this way, then this is a good book for you to read. You are not alone. I would recommend this to most parents, especially if they don’t feel they have a solid support system (spouse, friends, etc) in their lives. BUT I would also recommend that parents read Naumburg’s other book, too.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book, the author outline three core practices: connection, curiosity, and kindness. She gives parents some steps on how we can use each one to help us reduce anxiety, trust our instincts, get past any guilt, and become a calm parent. The book is filled with humor alongside situations, stories, and examples. Not only is this about how we parent, but also how we self-talk to ourselves. It also gives parents permission to set boundaries, not be afraid to discipline, and make mistakes.

I love the chapter: You're Not the Only: The Power of Connection, which teaches how to better connect with our kids in quality ways and ourselves. Some of it is about connecting with the supportive people in your life who love you and will be kind to you. And some of it is about just connecting to the present moment. It's also essential for parents to focus on their self-care. If we stay happy and centered, we parent from a more balanced place, and our kids will see that happiness too.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the same author who wrote, "How to stop losing your sh*t with your kids." Part of me is really tired of the swear words in titles - it feels played out and kind of childish, but as someone who sometimes feels like a shitty parent, I went into this book without a lot of expectations but still pretty hopeful. This book is more about giving yourself a break, that raising kids is hard, and you need to see that if you're struggling, as many of us are, you may not need more advice or strategies - you may just need to have some compassion for yourself and stop blaming yourself for everything, because you can't fix everything. We all want to, and we can't. It's an important book to read if you feel like you're not doing anything right, though I don't know if an entire book was needed for it, and it seems to go against the author's previous book, which is full of strategies about how to fix things. I definitely recommend it for parents who need someone to tell them, "You're doing ok. Give yourself a break. Things are hard."

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Chances are you already feel alone, ashamed and confused as hell. You don't need to pile on a load of judgment and contempt on top of that, and that's exactly what all your Shitty Parent Thoughts are doing"

You Are Not a Shitty Parent by Carla Naumburg felt like I was having a long phone conversation with a friend that says "HEY YOU DON'T SUCK, PARENTING IS JUST REALLY HARD" and for that I am forever grateful to this author. I haven't felt this seen and validated ever since starting my own motherhood journey and seriously this book hits it right in the nail with how modern parenthood feels like: both incredibly hard and stressful at times. This book does a wonderful job in helping the reader notice and stop the self hate talk and gives easy and practical advice on how to really grace yourself with more compassion. Something I feel like we all could use more of.

Truly. If you're a parent grab this book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book and was excited to read it because I found How to Stop Losing Your Sh!t With Your Kids to be very helpful.

I’m also a clinician social worker and mom, so like Carla, I understand the stress of parenting from both a personal and professional perspective. I always say that the mere effort of trying to improve one’s parenting is a sign of a good parent. This book is a great illustration of that, and anyone who is interested in books that will help their parenting style is halfway there.

Carla’s honest, relatable voice is a much-needed perspective in the often holier-than-thou parenting space. Her style is accessible and comforting, and makes readers feel like they are listening to a reassuring friend rather than a preachy expert.

My main takeaway from this book is the importance of self-care and self-compassion, and how this translates into compassion for our kids, which is the most important goal in my opinion.

[Kaci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely some good nuggets in here. I loved the circus metaphor, how it’s the ringleaders job to direct the audience’s focus from one act to another without getting sucked in, and not to keep the circus running, either. By noticing the chaos in our minds—the self-blame, etc, but not getting sucked in, we can maintain perspective. It’s not our job to control every single detail of our kids’ lives and their every action. We’re able to enjoy the good moments instead of being blinded by overwhelm and stress.

First arrows are the things we can’t control that happen in our lives and our kids lives. Second arrows are the ones we stab ourselves with, like shame and guilt. We can’t control the first ones but we don’t have to make things so much worse by throwing the second arrows. Third arrows are how we distract and numb ourselves.

It’s important to get curious about our/our kids’ experiences/problems before we jump to the worst case scenario. This helps us keep a cool head and think critically rather than freak out and make things worse unintentionally.

[Kimberly Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was having a rough parenting day when I visited the library and this title caught my eye. I'm glad it did, because it's a great, encouraging book for parents. As a parent of two challenging neurodivergent children, one of whom is strong-willed, it's easy to feel like a failure, but this book helped bring things back into focus. It's a scientifically-backed pep talk and it hits on some important notes to remember as parents. I also loved how non-judgmental the author was. The only thing I really didn't like was the heavy amount of swearing in the book. I'm pretty sensitive and I normally wouldn't read a book with so much cursing. This is one rare time I'm glad I pushed through, though I still wish it wasn't there. The book could have been just as strong without all the unnecessary profanity. Unfortunately I had to take it back to the library before I was all the way done, but I hope to finish it soon.

[Sri Harsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure about the good ratings it have received. Maybe I choose the book at wrong stage. I wanted a book about good parenting techniques and got into this. I couldn't finish more than a chapter. I need to skip the introduction from middle. There is so much unnecessary bombarding words such as "shit", "suck" and "freaking". When, author promotes compassion, I really can't understand using those words help. When there are parents who already have seen (literally), heard and felt shit, something they don't want to hear again is the word "shit". I felt author could have used more calmer words to make people who are already overwhelmed with so many things in life. I suggest to skip Introduction, if people still want to go ahead with the book. It helped me better when I read books on mindfulness or self learning. What they could have told in a page turned into a chapter here with forceful aggressive words.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a common sense book for people who are too exhausted and overwhelmed to think clearly when their kids are not behaving. This book teaches the practice of stopping and cooling down, taking control of the situation, and understanding that you are not alone and you can handle this. It's common sense but when you're in the middle of parenting it's hard to practice common sense sometimes. I like how the book was written very colloquially; I felt like the author was sitting at the kitchen table with me and chatting about her experiences and the hardship and joys of parenting and how she controls her emotions. Very easy read. Not very academic but the ideas feel fresh and attainable.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect book for new parents and parents interested in diving into the practice of self-compassion, "You Are Not a Shitty Parent," will assure you that you're not alone in the chaos of parenting. If you've read any of Daniel Siegal's books or are familiar with Kristin Neff's work on self-compassion, then this book will feel fairly introductory, but, regardless, you'll find some great ideas to enhance your self-compassion journey. Additionally, you'll be reminded of the importance of self-compassion and the effect it has on your parenting. Highly recommend. It's a quick, easy read with invaluable ideas and wisdom.

[Simona · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I've got this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

I had to DNF this book at 30% mark, because the phrase ''you are not a sh*tty parent'' was overused so much, that in the end it started irritating me instead of helping. I even startet to count that phrase, but at 30% I lost the count and lost my interest.
I couldn't find anything usefull in this book to be honest, felt like I read the same stuff so many times before, that I just couldn't waste my time anymore.
Hopefully someone else will find this book usefull, but for me it is a hard no - no.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Naumberg’s first book, but I also read it when I was in a very different place. This didn’t quite hit the same for me. But I also think that homeschooling has repaired a lot of the relationship between my son and I. It allowed me to step back from the societal “shoulds” and pressures and focus on us. Stepping back from the systems that tell parents how they should be raising their kids, or those that put forth one expected mold or expectation, made a huge difference for us. Focusing on connection helped, and I think that’s the heart of this book as well in many ways.