Parenting in the Here and Now

Parenting in the Here and Now: Realizing the Strengths You Already Have

Being a good parent doesn’t mean being perfect, learning complex theories or finding another twelve hours in the day. Parenting in the Here and Now offers a refreshingly different way. Rather than striving for—and failing to reach—a frustrating ideal, parents can start from where they are right now—and enjoy a more harmonious family life almost immediately.

Lea Page shows how to recognize emotions that get in the way, and how to stay calm rather than getting overwhelmed. Her practical parenting philosophy, born from many years of personal experience, observation and reflection, encourages parents to respond to children with action rather than words.

Parenting in the Here and Now is filled with examples of how to manage parental challenges in the moment, from tantrums and whining to lying and disrespect. Parents will appreciate the new confidence and calm authority this book—a true companion—gives them.

C O N T E N T S:

Introduction: What Is Ho Hum?

PART ONE: HO HUM—THE THREE PRICIPLES
1. Being Calm
2. Being Confident in Your Parental Authority
3. Using Actions and Experiences Rather than Words
4. An Important Example of Ho Hum: When to Offer Choices

PART TWO: ESTABLISHING YOUR DAILY ENVIRONMENT: THE CONTEXT FOR HO HUM
5. Rhythm: Giving Time a Pattern
6. Responsibilities: Doing Chores Together
7. Creating an Environment for Play: Sharing and Generosity

PART THREE: PARENTING CHALLENGES: HO HUM AS A GUIDE FOR DISCIPLINE
8. Helping Children Understand Consequences: Misbehavior and Mistakes
9. Connecting Freedom and Responsibility: Boundaries, Rules, Respect
10. Tantrums
11. Lies and Trust
12. Sibling Conflict
13. Every Tendency Has a Positive Aspect

CONCLUSION
14. Ho Hum in Your Family Life

About the Author

Lea Page studied education, literature, and leadership. She has mentored Steiner-Waldorf homeschooling mothers for a decade and has many years of experience as a La Leche League leader. Lea and her husband homeschooled both their children while living in rural Montana. She now lives and writes in New Hampshire.