A lot of parents aspire to have great kids, and I have yet to meet someone who aspires otherwise. As many fathers and mothers would testify, parenting is not for the faint of heart. That is why Dr. Harold Sala wrote The Parent Map, Navigating the Way to Raising Great Kids.
One thing that I want to quote the author of the book I am reviewing, Dr. Harold Sala’s The Parent Map, Navigating the Way to Raising Great Kids, is this: “Parenting starts before you even get married.” What he meant is if you have a desire to marry and become a parent, then you should start learning how to be one even before you get married, because parenting is a lifelong process. Alas, in this generation, there are a lot who become parents as teenagers very unprepared to nurture children.
As a father to two boys, Ephraim, 21, and Edwin James, 14, I would have to agree with many of the principles of the book. Much to my regret, there are aspects of that I have failed in. But then, in everything about life, there is still time to correct these.
Much of what Dr. Sala teaches in The Parent Map, he writes from his experiences dealing with his own children. Dr. Sala and his family lived in the Philippines for quite a while, so even though some of his “thoughts” may be American in some respect, the wisdom he teaches in Biblical sound and can be universally applied. He is, after all, first and foremost a believer in Christ and a continuing student of the word.
One critical chapter is all about communication. Do we listen to and talk to our kids? Do we spend time with them?
Dr. Sala starts off by The Parent Map by defining to the reader the issues that confront our kids today and how we, as parents, are dealing with these challenges. He then proceeds to define the different types of fathers and mothers. Then, he takes on how we teach and convert values to our children. The author also outlines various “red lines” or red flags that we need to be seriously aware of especially with the technology and media that abound in our society today that can greatly and easily influence the behavior of those we love.
One critical chapter is all about communication. Do we listen to and talk to our kids? Do we spend time with them? I heard a speaker earlier this week tell his audience that kids are smart. And they have questions. Questions that need to be answered by their parents. Not by the media or the celebrities they look up to, but by their parents. I believe this chapter is one of the most critical chapters in the book.
Dr. Sala recognizes that his readers, parents, deal with different age groups, cultures, personalities, and temperaments, especially teens, so he devotes a whole chapter to this aspect. For us parents, and I know I am not alone here, have a hard time understanding teens. Their thoughts are different from our thoughts. Their ways are a lot different than our ways. So how do you deal with them? You better buy the book and find out for yourselves.
If we want to greatly contribute to the lives of our children and you do not know how then I would advise you to read this book. I was terribly blessed that Dr. Sala himself gave me this book when we interviewed him, and I am very grateful that he did. I now have a greater chance of becoming a better parent.
There are a lot of parenting books today. Make sure that The Parent Map is one of those that you would buy and actually read.
