Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Sérieusement une lecture précieuse. Je l'ai lu assidument tous les soirs et je pense que le ménage que j'ai fait dans ma maison et ma nouvelle gestion de mon temps à franchement simplifié ma vie et celle de ma fille et de ma famille. Je le recommande chaleureusement.

Beyond parenting trends and intellectual modes, this is the back to basics and accessible book to count on. It brings an authentic and concrete vision for parents to work with. The author is now in great demand and has created ateliers for parents everywhere who can reclain their role with more simple healthy knowledge and heart.

This was an overall pleasant and encouraging read. Some of the suggestions seem obvious...At the same time it is very accessible and not dogmatic, which I appreciated. I especially liked Payne's suggestions for reducing the number of toys and stuff; his suggestions were not unlike those I've heard anecdotally over the years - simpler toys w less noise, buttons, single-purpose features are better. I also found his suggestions for getting children involved in meal preparation interesting especially from an inspiring creativity and ownership in eating and household participation perspective. These types of practical suggestions were helpful.

I did find that although he claimed to be speaking to the issues of affluent, middle class, and poorer families alike, his examples really reflected the experiences of the normative centre families: heterosexual, middle-class-to-affluent, able-bodied, American families. It would have been nice to speak to some of the potentially particular experiences of families that don't conform to these dominant norms. While I myself fit w in the normative centre (except for not being American), I am sensitive to advice that might not be practical to those who don't. What about families who are poor and cannot afford (money and time-wise) some of the suggestions Payne makes? Many times parents are working multiple jobs to make ends meet, for e.g., and some suggestions may incite further guilt among already overburdened parents. The concerns of poorer families may not be with overscheduled lives w many extracurricular activities but putting food on the table, making rent, and having any time to spend with kids and other family and friends. I also felt some of the suggestions around activities for children were gender stereotyped (e.g. boys can especially enjoy things like hauling stones, etc., young boys especially need physical activity). Payne uses far less stereotyped images of boys and girls than many parenting/family experts do, but it is still something that could have been improved.

Generally speaking though this is a useful book (it could have also been a bit shorter and still gotten the point across, though I notice there seems to be a standard length formula that parenting books are written to!).