Since becoming Mother, I have got out various books about parenting from the library. While most of them left me feeling torn between their conflicting advice, Tom Hodgkinson's 'The Idle Parent' was a breath of fresh air that got me even more excited about raising a child!
Tom's philosophy to parenting is simply "Leave the Children Alone" Let them create their own fun and games and don't worry about the expensive and over-stimulating array of products and activities that make up the"children's industry" let them explore, let them make a mess. As long as they are safe, let them do it! and while they are exploring and making a mess, you sit back and do what you are passionate about. Sounds like a win-win situation to me if the result is happy, healthy, carefree & creative children teamed up with happy, healthy, carefree & creative parents. I would be stoked if I could accomplish this while Jacinda is young!
Although Jacinda is too little to do most of what's suggested in this book, I will definitely be putting what I read to good use in the future. I like to think that I made a start last week when she spent an impressive 45 minutes ripping up an old newspaper and emptying the plastics cupboard while I was in the other room completing a sewing project! all the while keeping an ear out and knowing that there was nothing she could hurt herself with.
To read part of the first chapter Click Here
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