Sreamfree Parenting - Your Children and You Deserve It

This is a big picture but that's okay because I think this is important. When I started LifePrints almost two years ago I sent out an email to all of my friends asking for ideas for posts. If they knew anyone who deserved recognition for making the world a better place I wanted to blog about it. My friend Brandon promptly replied to tell me about Hal Edward Runkel (a friend of his) and his idea of Screamfree parenting. I'm sorry to say that I filed the email away in my "LifePrints Ideas" folder. Until a few weeks ago when I saw the Screamfree Parenting book at the bookstore. I bought it. I wish I'd read it two years ago when Brandon brought it to my attention.

If you have children, if you have children in your life, if you ever want to be a parent...please read this book. It is not a how to book. It does not explain techniques to modify your child's behavior and turn him into a respectful, smiling child. What Runkel has to say is much more important that choosing between time out and grounding.

You might want to sit down before you read this.....It's not about changing your child. It's about changing you, enabling you to become the calm, steady voice your children need, and realizing that the way to be the best parent possible is to love yourself first and grow up.

It's about learning to be proactive instead of reactive...learning to love without demanding love in return...and learning that you are not responsible FOR your children but instead you are responsible TO them. There is a huge difference. I didn't get it at first but by the end of the book I did.

Here is what is so important, in a nutshell, Runkel wants us to be the grown-ups. Many parents need to mature and stop acting like children themselves. If this makes you bristle just think of a trip to the grocery store. Have you ever seen a parent have a tantrum because their child would not sit still in the cart? Have you ever seen a parent completely lose it verbally and physically because the child would not comply?

That's what I'm talking about....if you want to do better and give your children the best you can be this is the way. Hal Runkel also runs live seminars, trains others to teach this material and maintains a website full of helpful resources.

I devoured the book over the weekend. Now I'm going to spend time reading more slowly and answering the questions and doing the exercises in the book. He's on to something revolutionary and we all need to hear it.