Believing It All: Lessons I Learned from My Children [Paperback]

Marc Parent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2002

There is nobody like a child to look life's greatest mysteries square in the eye, and there is no writer like Marc Parent to translate a child's revelations for the rest of us. He tries to teach his sons how to win at his favorite board games but learns instead the joy of making up your own incoherent rules. He nurtures their compassion, they teach him about love and forgiveness in the face of anger. Believing It All is a book about the things we knew as children -- about gratitude and playfulness, acceptance and love -- that sometimes elude us as adults. Book jacket.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having in Turning Stones chronicled his years as a social worker in New York City, when he witnessed the tragic abuse and neglect that so many children endure, Parent now shares a more positive, almost idyllic vision of family life in rural Pennsylvania. In vignettes from his tenure as the stay-at-home father of two small boys, he offers insights and ruminations on the lessons of parenthood that are "hidden beneath the roar of everyday living." Because it is still exceptional when men take on the role of primary caregiver for their preschool children while their wives go off to work, this author's thoughts may be taken much more seriously than similar musings by women. Parent is a fine writer, who deftly reveals the profound truths and important insights that spring from the intense intimacy of raising a child. A newborn who briefly stops breathing immediately after arriving home from the hospital, a three-year-old entranced by a dead squirrel in the road, a first somersault and an endless round of preschool interviews all bear Parent's close scrutiny. As his children grow, Parent expresses a range of responses from "some days I'd really just like to have a dinner where I don't have to jump up to help someone use the toilet" to appreciating the "overwhelming and absolute power" of having children who look up to you and believe all that you tell them.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Parent, in a follow-up to Turning Stones: My Days and Nights with Children at Risk (1996), shares the inspiration he received and lessons he learned from spending time with his two small sons. With his chatty, storytelling style, his essays and the anecdotes they contain are enjoyable and humorous, but never cute. On finding a dead squirrel in the road, the author begins a discourse on life and death for his boys, after which one child asks, "Can I kick it?" Another story details an attempt at playing a board game with the children; Parent tries to explain the rules but the endeavor falls into chaos and hilarity as the children take over and make up their own rules. Funny and somewhat bittersweet, this light, inspirational look at raising children will be widely appreciated. Parent got a lot of attention for his last book, including an appearance on Oprah, so librarians will want to purchase this one. Kathleen Hughes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (April 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316693464
• ISBN-13: 978-0316693462
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,238,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Moving ... A CLASSIC!, May 29, 2001

By 

tim mann (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Believing It All: What My Children Taught Me about Trout Fishing, Jelly Toast, and Life (Hardcover)

Having read Marc Parent's brilliant first book 'Turning Stones: My Days and Nights With Children at Risk',in which he recounts his experiences as a NYC caseworker for the child welfare service, I eagerly awaited his new book'Believing It All'. 'Believing It All' is a very different book from his first but once again the reader is in the presence of an extremely gifted writer and storyteller. Mr. Parent now brings his wisdom and insight to his own children. This is a deeply moving account of his relationship with his children and lessons he has recieved from them. This is NOT a cute little quick read... it is written with a gut truth that brought tears to my eyes. It's a wake up call to us so-called adults to open our eyes to the humor, beauty, honesty, and love that only children can remind us of, be it our own or others.This is an important book that will be read and reread for years to come.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS ONE WILL LEAVE YOU LAUGHING ONE MOMENT, CRYING THE NEXT, June 26, 2001

By 

Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Believing It All: What My Children Taught Me about Trout Fishing, Jelly Toast, and Life (Hardcover)

Marc Parent is a man who truly understands children inside and out, and he has definitely leaned his lessons first hand. His words come from the heart, based on his experience as a social worker and, in particular, as a stay-at-home Dad. As a counsellor, I have met with many a stay-at-home Dads; it is among the norm these days and on the rise. With many women returning to complete their education, joining the workforce and taking management jobs, the parenting roles have in many cases been reversed. While it has been the traditional role of mothers to provide daily care for their children, I have seen fathers who do an excellent job, and in some cases, a much better job than those moms who view motherhood as a "tied down, unfulfilling, low-paying job." Fortunately, they are among the minority, but they do exist and we have probably all met one or two who fall into that category.

Parent is a unique man and a gifted writer. His touch of humor adds a special charm to the book and once read, you will be tempted to hug your child for no special reason other, than you love him/her. The author pragmatically brings to our attention, the honesty, beauty, innocense and wonder of a child, and how a look of sheer love and trust can bring tears to your eyes and conquer your soul. "Believing It All" is a five star plus and highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touches me as a parent and brings back childhood memories, June 14, 2001

By 

Kerri - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Believing It All: What My Children Taught Me about Trout Fishing, Jelly Toast, and Life (Hardcover)

This book touches me on so many levels that I can't even begin to cover it all. As a new parent, who has recently become a stay at home mom, I can totally relate to Marc's daily life. As a child who grew up on a farm and in the country, the carefree childhood memories of Marc touch me with almost a deja vu type of clarity. What can I say? From the children's fascination with a dead animal to the love of riding even after you're too big for the stroller....this book touches me as both a child who once was and a parent that I now have become. I loved it....and didn't want it to end.