It was nothing but refreshing to read Dr. Lapointe’s professional take on attachment and development. Let’s just say that many of the ideas that she talks about in her new book Parenting Right from the Start are the very same ideas that I have been teaching my families for quite some time. This is all especially true when dealing with special needs families, and at the same time, harder to crystallize. It is worth pointing though, and I can firmly say that this will be one of the first books I will be recommending to my families from now on.
The wholistic, and at the same time, individualized approach that she teaches the families she works with very much approximate the message that I try to instill in the families that I work with, namely:
- You got this!
- Don’t let fear of judgement by others take over!
- Don’t let judgement of yourself take over!
- Relax and enjoy the ride!
My knowledge is not only based on years of experience but also on years of working on the connection between Eastern and Western thought. I can only summarize it with what a parent told me this morning, as we were talking about his daughter’s traumatic past, “worrying and dwelling are like a rocking chair, they give you something to do but you won’t get anywhere with it.” Those wise words carried me through the day, and they can get you through the worst crises as well as the not-so-terrible ones: temper tantrums, defiant behavior, resistant behavior, and normal developmental challenges that all parents are exposed to. Did your child have a tantrum? Did you yell when you shouldn’t have? Forgive yourself and move one. Learn from this experience and take a step back next time.
Parenting Right from the Start focuses on exactly what the title claims: Parenting way before you decide to have children, but in a non-judgmental, caring way. It explores common milestones from the parents’ point of view and from the child. It teaches parents to look at the world through the child’s eyes. The result is a more confident parent who is in control and understands that it is normal for parents to feel overwhelmed sometimes. It teaches parents to deal with those feelings of defeat and provides an avenue not only to help the child grow, but to help parents grow.
To get a copy of this book, click here. The paperback is out on October 8th, 2019.
If you have any questions of comments, drop me a note!
Cheers!
Dr. Klimek
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