BOOK REVIEW:

Nurture Your Child's Gift:
Inspired Parenting

by
Caron B. Goode, Ed.D.

Publisher: Beyond Words Publishing, Inc.

Reviewed by Anna Stewart  

Caron Goode’s premise is that all children are born with unique gifts and personal visions. She believes that if parents and communities want to do what’s best for their children, they will recognize and encourage their gifts and dreams. She believes that its time for a parenting revolution.

Caron may sound radical but she’s actually providing a framework and language for parents’ intuition. Many parents have noticed their kid’s interests and tried to support their passions.

Carol O’Brien, a grandmother in California said she noticed her kids’ life directions very early on, She recalls, "My youngest daughter studied bird books when she was only eight years-old. She spent hours drawing and correctly coloring specific species. Now she works for a vet and raises birds in her own aviary. She has a real gift with animals."

Intuitive parents like Carol allowed her children to follow their dreams but she didn’t know what to do to help them cultivate their interests. Goode gives today’s parents and grandparents specific tools for nurturing children’s gifts. She provides solid research and studies to back up her premise then goes on to give building blocks for empowering and creating a healthy mind-body relationship.

Clearly written and easily referenced, "Nurturing Your Child’s Gift", is filled with ideas and suggestions that make sense. Something as simple as breathing fully is often forgotten in families busy lives. Goode states that this is the single most important exercise you can teach your child. In a first-grade class she interviewed, only one child breathed deeply. The rest breathed shallowly which has been found to be associated with anxiety, high blood pressure, nervous disorders, depression, and psychosomatic disorders. Anyone who breathes in their upper chest and not into their belly is potentially at risk not only for the body but also for the mind and spirit. "How you breathe reflects your self-esteem," writes Goode. "How you breathe directly correlates to your enjoyment and satisfaction in life."

Learning how to breathe seems easy but like knowing yourself and knowing what you truly want to manifest, it requires emotional understanding, a healthy mind-body connection and the belief that we can make our dreams come true. Goode makes a clear argument that not only can parents help their children recognize their dreams through breath-work, music, creative problem-solving, guided imagery and affirmations, she believes we have an obligation to do so. It’s clear by the number of violent episodes in our schools, the growing number of kids with depression, eating disorders and suicide attempts that something needs to change. Goode knows that parents want their kids to be happy and she knows that comes from doing what you truly love. "Nurturing Your Child’s Gift" is meant for the new generations but perhaps parents can begin with their own dreams.

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Caron B. Goode's insights are drawn from her fifteen years in private psychotherapy practice and thirty years experience in the fields of education, personal empowerment, and therapy. She is currently the co-managing director with her husband, Tom Goode, N.D., of the International Breath Institute. She can be contacted through her website at www.inspiredparenting.net

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