“Parenting is joyous, rewarding, and challenging and the most important responsibility anyone can ever have.”
Writer and early childhood professional Bovell shares assiduously gleaned information and inspiration directed toward parents and caregivers, allowing opinions and personal hopes and practices, and offering them to anyone involved in, planning for, or reflecting on the rearing and intimate companionship of children. “Intentional parenting,” a designation created by the author, includes and explicates four requirements: respect, responsibility, reciprocity, and restraint. Suggestions and broad explorations are arrayed to active parents, to those considering having children, and to the elderly, such as grandparents. This overall thesis is designed by Bovell to supply the need for immediate, pragmatic application, planning, and organizing for the future, and sensitive reflections based on memories and acquired understanding.
In the subject area of respect, Joseph Kijewski believes that he must show respect for his wife to offer a well-honed example to children, and that children should never be exposed to any media containing illustrations or dramatizations of child abuse. Holly Blum regards responsibility as taking an active interest in who is teaching her children, finding the best caregivers, and seeking clubs and activities that will influence and strengthen her youngsters. Christopher Blanchard expresses reciprocity as demonstrating through one’s actions the overarching principle that “everyone is equal.” Regarding restraint, Richlyn Emanuel recognizes that it is often difficult to control one’s reactions to the negative behaviors of others, but over time, one can develop individual strategies such as avoidance and prayer. Following each of these sections, Bovell sets forth ten statements about each of the Rs, amalgamating and deepening the wisdom implied in each contribution, and melding it with her own professional and personal thought processes. Realizing that some contemporary readers might consider the four Rs to be “old school,” Bovell counters that, in fact, they are basic human values, and though they may have eroded somewhat over time, they are nonetheless essential to maintain and restore responsible social and familial growth, and thus are worthy of group and individual attention. To that end, the author encourages those responsible for childcare at every level to “go back to basics and give priority to how we raise our children.”
Dr. Bovell has pursued a lengthy career in the realm of child development and education, which has included work in cooperation with the Head Start program, a federally supported initiative that targets the needs of children up to the age of five. Her sound advice centers on her multitude of conversations with the three groups denoted in the book’s title, displaying her solid knowledge clearly presented in this latest guide, while including the many voices, opinions, and understandings of others expressed in clear, sometimes poignant, prose. As Bovell advises her audience, parents should remain aware of the many rapid changes in societal structures and moralities and dedicate themselves to devising ways to “go back to basics,” inculcating time-honored child-rearing practices that will play a vital role in future accomplishments and achievements. Bovell’s work will undoubtedly provide focus for finely targeted, diligent discussion directed toward a safe, bright pathway to successful parenting.
