Customer Reviews

Magical Parent Magical Child: The Art of Joyful Parenting

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3 star:		(1)
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I'm a big fan of Joseph Chilton Pearce. I've given this book as a gift to new parents, most of whom were inspired and blown away by his ideas. Even embracing just a few of his recommendations helped me IMMENSELY with parenting my daughter, now almost 18.

He's definitely a scientist of the mystical variety, and his insights require a "leap of faith" that there is much more to reality - and child-rearing - that what our often toxic culture usually suggests.

This was chosen for a parenting book club read. I'm only 30 pages into it, but it's 30 are like another book's 100. Every paragraph has something insightful worth stopping to reflect on. Within the first 30 pages it's not at all a How-To guide to parenting but rather discussion on psychological topics that effect who we as adults are, and how our personality connects with the child (or can disconnect). Wonderful wonderful!

If one wants to parent with lofty idealism that has limited practical applications then this is the book for you. The authors have presented a philosophy of "joyful" parenting with an effort for parents and children to find "flow" and make play and "optimal learning" experience. In doing so, the "real" world is seen as so out of reach of any nurturing loving parent, that is has to be denounced so that you can create the dream world of your own. As I agree that "culture" has to be looked upon with a critical eye, not every negative aspect of it should be shielded from children nor dismissed is such sweeping general terms. Not every competitive children's sport out there is run by a despotic coachs with overly demanding parents. The way the authors present their theory makes it seem that this is so. Obviously this does exist, but to categorize every one in that group is not only bad editorship, but a highly susceptible argument;without specifics what are we going to discuss: subject or principle?

And random quotes from Pearce's previous books, highlighting every page so that it is jam packed with excessive verbage is not only disconcerting but an equally distressing part to their presentation of ideas. It would have been better to have shorter versions of Pearce's quotes, not the chronically long passages that sometimes do not even go with the main text of the page. And statements from Pearce, such as "... Up to the post World War II period, no suicide has ever been recorded under age fourteen.." leaves one wondering. Now where is Pearce talking about, The United States? Europe? No child during the Depression in our country and those under the rise of Nazism every committed suicide? This hits to the problem with the book: blanket statements that may be true, but may not. As long as it feeds to their argument and is wrapped with flowering prose, then it is acceptible. But what is left out is content.

What would have been better if they utilized this theory into practical results; following families who have to live in the "real" world because mortages and taxes have to be paid, and record the results. How "play" can be implemented in your child's world with "real" examples. Then showcase how a family is succeeding or failing in their endeavors.

There are better books out there that showcase learning, children and the role of parents. Maria Montessori, Charlotte Mason, Erik Erikson, Howard Gardner, David Elkind, John Taylor Gatto, seem better suited to discuss the practical realm of children's learning then the pedantical philosophizing that I found here.

This is THE book to begin and end with ( with a generous dose of neurocardiology journals and laughter meditation practice along the way ) to liberate the spirits of our future.

This is a pretty good book. I have not finished it yet, but from everything that I have read has been good.