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aallyoop_reads's review against another edition
3.0
No Regrets Parenting offers advice on how to make the most of your time with your children. It is broken into very short chapters and emphasizes limiting distractions (for both you and your kids), being intentional, and developing a strong child-parent relationship. The advice was practical, yet not groundbreaking and although the tone was generally positive, I did feel a bit lectured to at certain points.
What I liked:
This book centered the reader on ways to make sure that you are spending time that counts with your children and not getting caught up in the day to day. I related to the idea that it is of the utmost importance to not deprive your kids of the 8 essential requirements:
1. Security
2. Stability
3. Consistency
4. Emotional support
5. Love
6. Education
7. Positive role models
8. Structure
I also liked the sections focused on grandparenting, and how parents should set boundaries and talk with their parents/in-laws about desired caretaking responsibilities and values.
What I didn’t like:
Some parts almost made me feel guilty for taking time to myself when needed. With a young child at home, it is crucial for me to take some “me” time so that I can offer my best self when I am home with my daughter. I don’t feel guilty about this when she is in the care of loving caretakers. At times, Rotbart seemed to emphasize that togetherness is the most important thing – and finding ways to include your kids in your day to day activities, even bringing them to work. I personally like to keep some boundaries, though I understood his intent.
As previously mentioned, I didn’t find that anything was especially revolutionary about the advice given. However, I did appreciate listening to this audiobook and considering how to apply (or not apply) the advice within my own family. If anything, it encouraged me to take a step back and think about what kind of parent I want to be.
What I liked:
This book centered the reader on ways to make sure that you are spending time that counts with your children and not getting caught up in the day to day. I related to the idea that it is of the utmost importance to not deprive your kids of the 8 essential requirements:
1. Security
2. Stability
3. Consistency
4. Emotional support
5. Love
6. Education
7. Positive role models
8. Structure
I also liked the sections focused on grandparenting, and how parents should set boundaries and talk with their parents/in-laws about desired caretaking responsibilities and values.
What I didn’t like:
Some parts almost made me feel guilty for taking time to myself when needed. With a young child at home, it is crucial for me to take some “me” time so that I can offer my best self when I am home with my daughter. I don’t feel guilty about this when she is in the care of loving caretakers. At times, Rotbart seemed to emphasize that togetherness is the most important thing – and finding ways to include your kids in your day to day activities, even bringing them to work. I personally like to keep some boundaries, though I understood his intent.
As previously mentioned, I didn’t find that anything was especially revolutionary about the advice given. However, I did appreciate listening to this audiobook and considering how to apply (or not apply) the advice within my own family. If anything, it encouraged me to take a step back and think about what kind of parent I want to be.
felinity's review against another edition
2.0
Reads more like a blog than a book. Each "chapter" is only 2-3 pages long. Half the first part is spent telling you about the great and wonderful techniques you'll learn in the second part, but that doesn't help me while I'm reading part 1. Unlike other parenting books, where they say "Don't do X" and follow it with "Do Y instead", this one just says "Don't do X" and implies you might learn more in the second half of the book. Which you don't. All the suggestions were blindingly obvious (do overflow work while young children are asleep in the evening or teenagers are asleep in the morning, involve them with household chores).
And I really, really don't agree with books which (correctly) point out that children may promise to do everything if you get a pet and rarely follow through, and then say or suggest you take the pet back if they don't. Pets are a lifetime commitment, not a toy you can return to the store, and ultimately parents are the ones taking the responsibility.
I think the only positive thing I took away is the nice suggestion of "pajama walks".
The flip side: although I agree with making the most of the limited time you have with your children, that doesn't mean they have to be attached to you. Give them 5 minutes alone at the bus stop, let them stay overnight at camp (it's really not the same as daycamp), and if you love your children, do not even think about going to their college advising meetings unless the adviser suggests it!
And I really, really don't agree with books which (correctly) point out that children may promise to do everything if you get a pet and rarely follow through, and then say or suggest you take the pet back if they don't. Pets are a lifetime commitment, not a toy you can return to the store, and ultimately parents are the ones taking the responsibility.
I think the only positive thing I took away is the nice suggestion of "pajama walks".
The flip side: although I agree with making the most of the limited time you have with your children, that doesn't mean they have to be attached to you. Give them 5 minutes alone at the bus stop, let them stay overnight at camp (it's really not the same as daycamp), and if you love your children, do not even think about going to their college advising meetings unless the adviser suggests it!
ladamic's review against another edition
1.0
Overly proscriptive, listing a bunch of things that you probably would not regret not having done, but now can feel guilty about not doing.
jadenbru's review against another edition
3.0
I agree with the general concepts in this book wholeheartedly, and I appreciated many of his ideas and his thinking on how to spend quality time with your children in new and different ways. I think there is lots of good advice to be found here.
However, the tone of the book, particularly toward the beginning, came off a bit presumptuous and judgmental to me. I felt like the author made some not so subtle assumptions about the makeup of families (talking a lot about Dad and Mom together but not at all about single Mom or Dad or how THEY might juggle these aspirations... let alone Mom and Mom or Dad and Dad) and that stuck out. Additionally, I started to feel towards the end like the book was a bit repetitive- almost as if the author was running out of content but wanted to extend the novel.
Overall, this was a good read, but not as good as I had hoped or expected.
However, the tone of the book, particularly toward the beginning, came off a bit presumptuous and judgmental to me. I felt like the author made some not so subtle assumptions about the makeup of families (talking a lot about Dad and Mom together but not at all about single Mom or Dad or how THEY might juggle these aspirations... let alone Mom and Mom or Dad and Dad) and that stuck out. Additionally, I started to feel towards the end like the book was a bit repetitive- almost as if the author was running out of content but wanted to extend the novel.
Overall, this was a good read, but not as good as I had hoped or expected.
trixie_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of easy things to do to enrich your relationships with your kids. My family already does lots of them, but it was affirming, if nothing else.
robinfowl's review against another edition
3.0
some really good ideas in here, too... but also parts that feel very dated, especially for a book that's only 6 years old.
hcpenner's review against another edition
4.0
Yup, I read parenting books. I'm one of THOSE Mommies.
I liked this one a lot. It's a quick read, and contains some fun ideas.
I liked this one a lot. It's a quick read, and contains some fun ideas.
natalye's review
2.0
Overall the information in this book is pretty good, though some tips (like returning pets to shelters if your kid doesn't care for them) are terrible. Also the suggestions for what to text to your kids are so off base I couldn't help but laugh (seriously, it sometimes felt like Rotbart was writing this book for grandparents). My main complaint is that it was super boring to read. The chapters were short, thankfully, but the writing was bland. I do take it as a good sign that most of these things I already sort of planned on doing, thanks in large part to the way I was raised, so good job raising me mom and dad. But I also think this book is full of a lot of common sense, at least for parents who really are concerned with developing a loving, trusting relationship with their kids.
clwilliams321's review against another edition
3.0
Not a lot of meat to this. Main idea is to find ways to make ANY time you spend with kiddos enjoyable. Doesn't need to be fancy or cost money. Can be during commericials even. I did consciously decide to do this while shoveling snow -- I wanted to go inside, but instead had a snowball fight with son & neighbor boy.