the blessing of...

i don't usually send fan mail, but author wendy mogel deserves it. this weekend i read her book, the blessing of a b minus, and was wowed. not by her writing, which is warm and welcoming.  or her knowledge, which is rich and thorough. or her her advice, which is so sound and thoughtful. i think what wowed me was the total package and how it reinforced what i fully believe.

i also believe the simplest ideas are usually the best. her ideas about parenting are very simple - not to be confused with easy. and even though she uses jewish teachings, it's not religious. wendy's earlier book the blessing of a skinned knee was very similar, but it  focused on younger children. her new book is geared for parents of teens. certainly a group facing a different set of challenges than those with younger children.

it's hard to argue with the simple concept of respect your parents.  it's also hard to argue that responsibility, resilience, rules and expectations aren't the foundation of great parenting -- for any age child. her advice is grounded -- pick your battles, set realistic expectations, remember they are teenagers,  it's their life and you're not reliving your teen years, practice detachment, and let them go. and even though letting go is inevitable and what all of our parenting work is for, wendy tells us to allow the heartache we will feel. 

wwcd: i plan to hold this book close to keep me in check and give me strength