I just spent the last two nights leading a fairly large group of parents through a Becoming a Love & Logic Parent course. If you're not familiar with this class developed by Foster Cline and Jim Fay, than you're missing the parenting boat, in my opinion. It's great curriculum and I really enjoy leading classes a couple of times a year for very selfish reasons - it's a great refresher for me. I just need to find a way to convince my husband that refreshers are a good thing. We do serve cookies during training. Maybe that's the hook?
The class tonight gave a wonderful opportunity to those needing to share some frustrating parenting dilemmas to gain a fresh perspective from other parents. We had about 30 parents in a room with experience ranging from toddlers to adult children - biological, foster, adopted, and kinship placements. As the group shared insights drawn from years in the trenches, it was great to see a bit of hope on some of the parent's faces, relief on others, and still a bit of validation on a few when the issue stumped us all. There is nothing wrong when we as parents discover that we are not crazy.
If I had to choose one of my favorite parenting techniques, it would be Love & Logic. I highly recommend it to all parents, but especially foster and adoptive parents. It just may save your sanity.
_________________________________
Suggested Reading:
- What Parenting Skills Have You Found Helpful as a Foster or Adoptive Parent? - Share Resources and Ideas
- The Five Love Languages - Book Review
- The Post Adoption Blues - Book Review
- Top 6 Must Have Books for Parents: Developing a Discipline Style - About.com Parenting Teens
After having read “Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control…” by Heather Forbes and Bryan Post I am 360 degrees from “Love and Logic.” ESPECIALLY with adopted kids.
I think that it is imperative that all people who have been exposed to “Love and Logic” read “Beyond Consequences…” Unfortuately “Love and Logic” is, in my opinion, causing a lot of pain and suffering by misleading adoptive parents. PLEASE read “Beyond Consequences” to not only become an informed person, but a loving one as well.
Thank you.