I posted back here about some reading I'm doing this year. And back here was my January book review.
I love books. Oh my goodness, I surely do!
💖I love the book in our family room
💖I love the picture books in our playroom and the 'chapter book' library that grew and grew as my girls grew and grew
💖I love reading aloud to them still {in the summer when we are finally all together, the girls and I dive deep into two books, one fiction, one nonfiction}
💖I love my classroom library and something wonderful that I call 'Open the Magic'
💖I love my Bible, my devotionals, my saints books, my prayer books
and... I love my Sally Clarkson books.
I was a little bit worried about the book I chose for February. Although I whole heartedly agree with her concepts and ideas, I felt that this one might just be a bit too 'past' for me. My girls, after all are 21 and 17... so maybe it was a stretch to read this one. But I believe, oh boy I surely do believe that there is no 'done' with parenting. I want to shape and guide, support and nurture, disciple and pour into their hearts until my very last breath. My goal is to get them to Heaven. 🌟
So with a little, 'I'm not sure this is applicable anymore' feeling, jumped in.
And oh boy I was wrong... it was wonderful!
Uniquely You by Sally and Nathan Clarkson
This book follows one that was written a while ago that I read last year after Abigail was diagnosed with clinical OCD. It's called Different. Different is raw and Sally really opens up about what could be thought of as embarrassing details from her life raising an ADHD, OCD child. I wept reading this book because I finally felt that someone got it. I also raised an ADHD, OCD child and forever Scott and I kept to ourselves the details of just how difficult parts of parenting were. But finally we felt heard, seen, justified in the challenges we faced. {we also raised a child with Attachment Disorder and trauma from adoption}
What I loved about this book, Uniquely You:
"There are three principles that will guide you through the journey in this book: to learn how to accept, affirm, and delight in your children
- to accept your child is a radical act. It is learning how to see them with unwavering eyes, no imagining them as you want them to be or trying to fit them into a particular mold, but genuinely seeing what they are in their capacities and limitations, their hopes and fears."
Well, I could just have stopped reading right there in the introduction. How many times did I try to change, wonder how I could mold my girls? Too many to count. I believe that it is a lifelong journey to accept your child for who they are.
- "to affirm our children is to go a step further... This step requires a willingness to use words of life and to make them a central part of your relationship with your child. You go beyond simply acknowledging in a neutral sense what their unique makeup is; instead, you make them feel that what they are is acceptable."
- "to delight in your child is step that happens in your own heart... unconditional love paves the pathway to delight where we learn to celebrate our precious child."
There are several chapters and topics covered:
💙 Fearfully and Wonderfully Mads
💙Personality Types
💙Learning Styles
💙Big Unique Dreams
💙Love Languages
💙Heartfelt Discipline
💙Outside the Box Minds
💙Friends and Relationships
💙Lifegiving Community
I wish I had more time tonight to dive deeper into all that I starred, circled and underlined! Just trust me, if you are a parent {of any age} read this book. I know I will again and again!
