Chapter Review
“The Parent-Centered Family”

Child raising is a science, an art, a project, a responsibility and a privilege.

It requires nurturing skills, intelligence, prayer, time, energy, determination, intentionality and desire.

Sounds daunting but not too worry sacrificing oneself is not required.

In fact, John Rosemond says parenting done properly is not all consuming and the process can be quite rewarding for both parent and child.

In the very first chapter of his book, The New Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children, an updated and expanded version of the classic he wrote on the topic, he says families should be parent-centered rather than child-centered. What a relief!

…The most destructive myth ever manufactured and sold to parents…but almost universally subscribed to…children need lots of attention.

John says, “the secret to raising happy healthy children is to give more attention to the marriage than you give to the children.” He also suggests that giving your children too much attention is like over feeding them and we are just as responsible to limit the amount of attention they receive as we are to manage their intake of food. Excessive amounts of either can have disastrous effects.

These aren’t his words but he implied that giving a child too much attention turns them into self-absorbed individuals with over inflated opinions of their importance to society. They become all consuming social parasites. Everyone must constantly hear them, see them and/or entertain them.

John does say that the more attention a parent gives a child beyond what they really need, the less capacity they develop for: [Read more…] about “Children Need Little Attention” – John Rosemond