Life Teachings: Raising a Child

Rating:
Summary: Sharing Wisdom with Your Children
Review: "In our lives, people and experiences have formed who we are at this moment. From the time we are born until we die, people and experiences show us a way to conduct our lives."

Jeanie Davis Pullen remembers how wisdom was passed from adult to child in a more relaxed setting. In a time when family "matters" were settled on the porch with a glass of ice tea in a easy, musing fashion. Her parents didn't have to be experts, they just learned from their own experiences.

Jeanie is an educator, consultant and speaker with an advanced degree in gifted education. She also teaches high school and graduate courses at the university level.

Jeanie has often been asked to give talks about child raising, communication and growth paths in education and life. She has raised two daughters who are now successfully living their own lives. Over the years, people also started asking Jeanie to write about the importance of an individual creating a responsible, personal way of life.

The first story is about how the author is listening to her two daughters having a conversation in their late twenties. She began to wonder how children developed to this point. How they became happy, confident adults who contributed positively to society.

In the second chapter we learn about the list the author made in order to guide herself in parenting. She wanted her daughters to have a love of words, be confident, have wisdom, be able to see beauty in everyday things and have a sense of wonderment.

I love the way this book is written, it is really a conversation with the reader. I am pretty sure you are supposed to be sitting in a rocking chair on a porch while reading this book. ;)

Jeanie really pours out her thoughts and they are quite refreshing. She explains how she discovered that respect was a huge over-arching theme, how she made time for her children and the beautiful way she taught her children to get her attention even if she was talking to someone (I don't think "mom," "mom," "mom," "mom" worked well for me as a child.;). I love her idea but I'll let you read about it!

This book is so filled with wisdom. Not only does the author want to encourage her children to be the best they can be, she makes agreements with them so they are "in on the process."

The thoughts in this book are so beautiful. Play becomes her daughers' work. Play becomes highly valued as a learning experience. She buys her children beautiful books that they can keep, so they have permanent books in their lives.

Through memories of her own childhood and memories of beautiful moments in her own children's lives, Jeanie brings together a collection of heartfelt stories to inspire parents to love and appreciate their children and the moments they have to teach them valuable lessons in life.

A beautiful gift for all parents and the children who will benefit from their wisdom.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book for new and old parents!!
Review: I couldn't put it down! It is an easy read full of delightful ideas that can be put to use to help you with parenting. She challenges you to think about the kind of adults you want your children to become and to have a plan. She gives you ideas that worked for her and just could work for you. I wish I had read this when my children were young, but now I have grandchildren and they will benefit.

Rating:
Summary: A front porch conversation on child rearing.
Review: I enjoyed this book immensely. It was like sitting on the front porch with one of your best friends and discussing child rearing. Jeanie speaks in a straight-from-the-heart manner. Her words are genuine. "Life Teachings" is a very personal approach to the upbringing of a child. Most importantly, this book honors children as important individuals and also gives practical advice for establishing a "sturdy foundation" upon which children can build their lives. Her thrust is that we must be purposeful and respectful in our dealings with children. I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows a child.

Rating:
Summary: Ingraining a natural sense of learning in children
Review: I have now gone through Jeanie D. Pullen's book several times, always discovering new facets of the subject discussed with each reread of the book (or particular chapters in it). While I have many interests to keep me busy, this book was easy to read in short instalments due to it's clever partitioning into short stories/chapters. The books philosophy is that children have a wonderful opportunity to learn at all steps of their life (including the adult steps) giving them more resources with which to interact with their environment. This idea is strengthened by ingraining in children in a natural, easy, non-overt yet thoughtful manner the concepts of reasoning, development of their own thoughts and fears, self evaluation of the choices they face in life ... J.D. Pullen reminds us that encouraging children to have high standards of reasoning and learning skills, implies that parents/teachers must also aspire to these same standards. I think this book would suit teenagers and adults in discreetly and naturally developing there own way of learning, and encouraging the same in the children they interact with.

Rating:
Summary: Ingraining a natural sense of learning in children
Review: I have now gone through Jeanie D. Pullen's book several times, always discovering new facets of the subject discussed with each reread of the book (or particular chapters in it). While I have many interests to keep me busy, this book was easy to read in short instalments due to it's clever partitioning into short stories/chapters. The books philosophy is that children have a wonderful opportunity to learn at all steps of their life (including the adult steps) giving them more resources with which to interact with their environment. This idea is strengthened by ingraining in children in a natural, easy, non-overt yet thoughtful manner the concepts of reasoning, development of their own thoughts and fears, self evaluation of the choices they face in life ... J.D. Pullen reminds us that encouraging children to have high standards of reasoning and learning skills, implies that parents/teachers must also aspire to these same standards. I think this book would suit teenagers and adults in discreetly and naturally developing there own way of learning, and encouraging the same in the children they interact with.

Rating:
Summary: This book is an interesting and empowering read for all!
Review: In this book Life Teachings:Raising a Child, the author has clearly captured many of the most highly desirable adult traits one would strive to develop in their children. In a story telling manner, she speaks of her familys' experiences related to child rearing and invites the reader to consider them while in the process of raising their own children. Equally compelling to me is the unspoken invitation to look at the ways in which we ourselves were raised and the inherent results. I found this collection of child rearing experiences to be an easy but thoughtful read. Also when one or more of the many ideas appealed to me I was given examples of ways to incorporate those teachings into my daily parenting. I liked that! It is a delightful book where one set of parents shares their successful method of child raising with others.

Rating:
Summary: A reminder about what life's about
Review: It is so easy to forget how important and precious raising a child is; in our daily lives we race to get ahead and forget to work on our most important projects: our children.

In this book, the author brilliantly tells story after story about how her children were raised; and opens the door to a new way to look at the little people around us. I have a new respect for children after reading this book, and I think you will too.

A must-read for any parent!

Rating:
Summary: Endearing and stimulating insight on child raising
Review: Jeanie Davis Pullen gives an concise in-depth view of her approach to raising children. This book is brilliantly laid out and well written with a collection of short stories covering many aspects of child raising. This book can be read easily by busy parents, prospective parents, busy college students, or anybody who ponders about their own childhood experiences and how they may someday contribute to a child's education as a parent, a teacher, a scout-leader, a sports coach... Each chapter describes in a precise and endearing manner a particular aspect of child raising and can be read within 10 minutes. Together, all the short stories in this book form a balanced collection of food for thought towards child rearing. Jeanie Davis Pullen accomplishes this task in a personal manner which remains respectful of the reader's own experiences and views on child raising.

Rating:
Summary: fine feminine philosophy
Review: Jeanie Davis Pullen's template for parenthood is not detail specific, rather it is future focused: how would you like your child to be twenty years hence?

As most parents want for their children the foursquare basics: shelter, food & clothing, oh yes, & by the way, lots of money, this author's Wish List might seem, at first glance, obvious & a bit warm & fuzzy, however Jeanie Davis Pullen has far deeper concerns.

A delightfully meditative, immediate & informative weaving of the stories of this author's life & experiences, with insights into authentic emotions, little family gestures, which no one else would notice, to forestall her child's need to be heard NOW! How learning that not being able to afford something, was a luxury in disguise. That there is more to an adult's life besides parenting. That as "monkey see/monkey do" our children learn from us, how then, do you want your children to be?

Rating:
Summary: I'll be keeping this one for many years
Review: Like probably many young people, I have found myself thinking from time to time over the years about the ways I would and would not want to raise a child of my own. I've often thought about the way my parents raised me, and whether I would ever be a successful parent in my own right. _Life Teachings: Raising a Child_ did a wonderful job of putting into words a number of vague feelings I am beginning to feel about the process of raising a child (for if and when on that far-off day). But even moreso, if brought quite a few brand-new concepts to light for me, things that I may never have had the wisdom to pick up on my own. But because the author dispenses her wisdom anecdotally rather than in a "how-to" fashion, I found it very easy for me to visualize the ways in which these lessons might be incorporated into my own life and the life of my family. This is a very special book which will be proudly displayed on my bookcase for years to come, where I can return to it again and again.