Book Reviews

As a parent coach I am always on the search for books that cover what I believe are the fundamentals in parenting. Raising resilient, motivated, emotionally intelligent, socially adept children who are comfortable in their own skin. This leads to children who want to learn and have the life skills to be able to learn in both formal and non-formal education environments. I believe "Inspired Children" covers these fundamentals and so much more. There were many standout chapters for me, one that really left its impression was the chapter on Supporting Emotional Intelligence. In it the experiment on how our intention can affect a slice of bread is a really powerful way for children to learn the impact of their own emotions on others. There are many, many gold nuggets in this book and if you want to raise an inspired child that eventually will lead his or herself this is great guide to how."

Dina Cooper - Parent Coach and Mentor at Hoogi www.hoogi.com.au

"Interesting and easy to read"

Steve Biddulph, one of the world’s best selling parenting authors  www.stevebiddulph.com

Dr. Rosina McAlpine provides parents with a truly inspirational book to help guide them toward informed appreciation for all that is unique about their children. With contributions by international experts, Inspired Children helps parents discover their own personal parenting styles and encourages confidence with actionable ideas that foster healthy communication, attachment and love. This meaningful book, merges science and experience and most importantly it is written in a language that parents, teachers and early childhood educators can learn from.

Lynne Kenney, PsyD Author of The Family Coach Method: Raising Good, Kind, Ethical Kids 3 to 8: in a Complicated World www.lynnekenney.com

Dr. Rosina has cleverly brought together the research, experience and stories of leading minds from across the globe whose wisdom knowledge and parenting insights are second to none. This book represents smart parenting with consciousness and wisdom for the 21st century. I was delighted to find a powerful and insightful book packed full of parenting tools and tips from pre-conception to adolescence. In fact, this book offers so much I think it is a must read for all, not only parents!

Vivien Sabel author of The Blossom Method™ - How to Understand and Bond with Your Baby From Birth - “A groundbreaking and revolutionary parenting/baby book” (Random House publication June 2012) UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor & Researcher www.viviensabel.com

This collection of parenting wisdom is focused on the essence of what mothers and fathers need to know to raise emotionally balanced, fulfilled and happy children. McAlpine has collated a treasure trove of guidance from experts who truly care about children’s emotional wellbeing. Parents that are hungry for best practice parenting ideas will love Inspired Children for its depth of information and its breadth of subjects ranging from prenatal wellness to developing children’s emotional intelligence.

Yvette Vignando, publisher of www.happychild.com.au and advocate for social and emotional learning in schools.

Dr Rosina is passionate about parenting and we all know that to be successful, children need to have life skills like strong self esteem, communication skills and be inspired to achieve great things. This is an excellent book as it is not just another "How To..." book. All parents can use these methods, ideas and practical suggestions to improve the quality of their relationships with their children and to build their child's self esteem - which is the cornerstone of every happy, confident child from toddler to teen. Her book is an encouraging and uplifting read for all parents and I recommend you rush out and get your copy now.

Sue Atkins Author of "Raising Happy Children for Dummies" and the Parenting Made Easy CDs and brand new Parenting made Easy iPhone and iPad App www.TheSueAtkins.com 

I initially assumed that Inspired Children just another “mommy book” written by women for women. Was I wrong! It is chock full of great ideas for dads. How do you get your kids to help out with the housework? Make it like a game of course!  Rosina McAlpine taught her son to sort clothes into different colours and ‘stuff’ them into the washing machine - when he was a toddler! Then there is the ‘bread experiment’, an idea so intriguing that every family will want to try it. Inspiring Children is a great read! Not a boring parenting “manual” at all, but a fascinating journey into the hearts and minds of parents and children!

Charles Areni, professor and single father

The world needs this incredible book. Dr. McAlpine has created an extremely valuable resource filled with the latest research and also practical advice to both inform and inspire parents. The concept is unlike any other parenting book. The knowledgeable and caring contributions from these experts will truly have an influence toward…. Inspired Children! 

Deborah McNelis, M.S.ed, Early Brain Development Specialist, Speaker, and author of, The Brain Development Series. www.braininsightsonline.com 

This book is a treasure chest filled with priceless wisdom from many of today's leading edge thinkers.  The rich variety of clear and powerful insights into the inner world of our children will take parents on a journey of understanding that will open their hearts and nurture their soul.  "Inspired Children" is a must read for every parent.
Sandi Schwartz, Parenting Guru ~ International Radio Show Host, Founder of Leading Edge Parenting, LLC www.sanditeaches.com

Inspired Children: How the Leading Minds of Today Raise Their Kids is inspired, indeed. From the hearts and minds of some of the most authentic leaders in the field of personal growth and parenting today, we are given a rare glimpse into the family practices of many whom we admire for their willingness to see and be seen by the world a large. This gem of a book offers not only heartfelt insights, but practical advice, as well, from so many in-depth vantage points that all readers may find much wisdom to utilize in ther own homes. Dr. Rosina McAlphine has gathered quite a crew here in these pages, and the diversity of the offerings represents the most beautiful aspect of the book. I highly recommend this book for all parents who seek to raise conscious children!

Annie Burnside, M.Ed., Award-winning Author of Soul to Soul Parenting www.annieburnside.com
 

Dr. McAlpine advances a new paradigm for Life Skills development, by sharing the perspectives of multiple educators and cutting edge research in human development from pre-conception to adulthood. Inspired Children are the result of inspired educators and inspired is what you will be after this read: Inspired to love, inspired to continue learning, and inspired to embrace a new proactive paradigm for parenting and life skills education.

Marlaine Cover MPA, Life Skills Educator & Parenting Strategist, Creator of the Life Skills Report Card www.lifeskillsreportcard.com

Inspired Children is a book filled with nuggets of wisdom about how to raise successful, well-adjusted children. Parents all over the world dream of seeing their kids grow up to impact society in a positive and meaningful way. This book is a useful tool to help them achieve those results. The authors address real-life issues that parents encounter in the process of raising their children and practical solutions are presented to the challenges that they will inevitably face. As a father, I find Inspired Children particularly helpful because traditionally mothers have taken on the role of raising the children while fathers have focused on ensuring their financial needs are met. The book serves as an “eye-opener” for fathers who have wrongly embraced the philosophy that they have an insignificant role to play in child-rearing. It helps fathers to recognize that they have a vital role to play in the emotional and intellectual development of their children. 

Rodrick Walters, The Upbeat Dad Organization, Inc. Empowering Dads, Supporting Families www.theupbeatdad.com

Dr. McAlpine has taken everything that is critical to raising well-adjusted, happy and secure children and put it into one handy, easy to digest book. With each new chapter, I found myself nodding my head and mouthing, "Yes, Yes and YES! This book will not collect dust on a shelf. Parents will refer to it again and again!

Wendy Young LMSW, BCD, LMSW, BCD   Founder: Kidlutions: Solutions for Kids www.kidlutions.com 

LONGER REVIEWS 

CHARLES ARENI

In the movie Parenthood, Keanu Reeves’ character, who is on the verge of becoming a teenage parent, quips “You need a license to buy a dog, or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish! But they'll let any butt-reaming arsehole be a father.” 
I’m a father. It’s the most important role I’ll ever have, and yet, come to think of it, I didn’t need a university degree, a high school diploma, or even a license.
Rosina McAlpine starts with this basic premise, observing that “society as a whole seems to view parenting as something you can do just because you can have a child.” She’s right. Most soon-to-be parents are woefully unprepared, hoping to “learn on the job”, and this may not be good enough. 
Inspiring Children is a simple guide for prospective parents, soon-to-be parents, and parents of children of every age; yet its principles stem from a meticulous scrutiny of research in the areas of personal development, psychology, biology, genetics, and child development, blended with the personal parenting experiences of the experts themselves.   
McAlpine explores several strategies for raising motivated, goal-directed, self-assured children. The lessons are basic, and yet insightful. For example, what parent doesn’t want his children to help out more around the house? The solution is simple - make chores seem more like games! Create a point system. Get your kids to compete against one another. McAlpine taught her son the “laundry game”, where clothes are sorted by colour and then “stuffed” into the washing machine, when he was just a toddler!
Subtle nuances become apparent if you read carefully.  For example, McAlpine doesn’t just ask her 3-year old son to ‘use words’ to communicate what is troubling him, but rather to ‘use his words’, giving him a sense of mastery and control over his problem as well as his developing vocabulary. 
There are provocative ideas throughout Inspired Children. Bruce Lipton explains how parents must start preparing even before conception! Imagine that! Information about parents’ diets, stress levels, emotional reactions, and behavioural habits can be passed along to their children via “epigenetic processes”. In short, your children’s genes will contain information about the world you lived in and how you lived in it, so live well!
Joe Dispenza’s “bread experiment” is so intriguing that virtually every reader will want to try it with their kids. If it works, they will quickly move on to the “plant experiment,” both wonderful ways to teach kids that what they think and feel and do in the world matters! They can control their fate by learning to be in the moment, and to harmonise their thoughts, feelings and desires.  
There are some anomalies. For example, Janette Roberts advises parents to “cut through all the information”’ and “tap into your instinctive response”; to “Silence your, left, thinking, brain and listen to your inner voice”. This seems somewhat at odds with the premise of Inspired Children, which is to make use of all the accumulated scientific evidence on effective parenting. Nevertheless, she offers intriguing explanations for why many contemporary parenting practices may be at odds with what nature intended.
Overall, Inspired Children is a wonderful source for parents seeking guidance on the most amazing journey life has to offer.  It’s a great read too, which is good, because there are so many lessons to be learned and absorbed that a single reading may not be enough. You’ll want to read each chapter again and again until the basic principles become second nature. 

Charles Areni, professor and single father of two    

RODRICK WALTERS

Inspired Children is a book filled with nuggets of wisdom about how to raise successful, well-adjusted children. Parents all over the world dream of seeing their kids grow up to impact society in a positive and meaningful way. This book is a useful tool to help them achieve those results.
The authors address real-life issues that parents encounter in the process of raising their children. With chapters such asPreparing for Parenthood and Raising Healthy and Happy Babies, the book helps expectant parents to get ready for the role of a lifetime. Later chapters such as Preparing Children for Life, Helping Children to Manage Stress and Inspiring Children to Achieve Goals serve as an instruction manual to help moms and dads navigate through the unchartered seas that parenting brings. Practical solutions are presented to the challenges that they will inevitably face. 
As a father, I find Inspired Children particularly helpful because traditionally mothers have taken on the role of raising the children while fathers have focused on ensuring their financial needs are met. The book serves as an “eye-opener” for fathers who have wrongly embraced the philosophy that they have an insignificant role to play in child-rearing. It helps fathers to recognize that they have a vital role to play in the emotional and intellectual development of their children. 
I strongly encourage parents - particularly first-time parents - to read this book and learn from the wisdom of the authors. I believe that their lives will be enhanced as a result and they will inspire their children to rise to great heights.

Rodrick Walters, The Upbeat Dad Organization, Inc. Empowering Dads, Supporting Families www.theupbeatdad.com

ANNIE DESANTIS

I read a LOT of books and this book by Dr Rosina McAlpine, would have to be one of the best parenting books I have read in a very long time.

Dr Rosina has gathered some of the leading researchers and authors on child development and parenting and asked them to write a chapter in this excellent book. Rosina has the academic background to distill and critique the latest research in child development, and to blend her professional expertise into her life as a Parent. This is PRACTICAL stuff, not just academic theory.

Parenting Can Be Hard!

Parenting is not easy, we get very little training apart from what we absorb from our own childhood, and from observation of those around us. Many parents question if they want to raise their kids the same way they were raised, and we want to do better for our kids. Most new parents desperately want to get it right, and increasingly there are children that are clearly not thriving in this fast paced world where information is confusing and often contradictory.

Every family is different - different background, the age of your children, single parents, blended families, and each family has to cope with different stresses or challenges over the course of raising their family. This book is rich with new ideas, the latest in brain development and research and will give you much to think about in your journey as a parent.

Many of you will know of Dr Rosina McAlpine from her program, Inspired Children: Life Skills For Kids. 

Parenting Starts at Pre-Conception?

Her book, Inspired Children: How the leading minds of today raise their kids begins PRE conception - Did you know parents already influence their child's chances of success even before conception? Scary huh? But empowering once you understand.

Experts in genetics, neuroscience, and psychology each share a chapter with their own area of expertise and how that relates to parenting, plus they share their own experience as parents.

Dr Rosina has even interviewed the children of some of these parents to get their perspective of how they were raised. Learn how best to help our children thrive, gain resilience and good self esteem, learn good communication and relationship building skills, as well as a focus on health and education. There are chapters on emotional intelligence, helping children to manage stress, and inspiring children to achieve their goals.

Many of my favorite inspirational thinkers have taken part in this book - Bruce Lipton, Joe Dispenza, Maggie Dent, and of course Dr Rosina McAlpine herself.

There is so much confusing information out there on parenting, it is a breath of fresh air to find one that has distilled so much of the latest research, along with inspirational, intuitive parenting.

If you only buy one book all year, get this one.

Inspired Children: How the leading minds of today raise their kids

Annie Desantis - Parent Coach
http://www.law-of-attraction-parenting.com/