Raising a Family: Living on Planet Parenthood [Paperback]

Jeanne Elium (Author), Don Elium (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

It's now time to turn your attention to an entirely new concept of family. . . .The new responsibility of children equals an exponential explosion of daily tasks: mounds of laundry, bushels of shopping for food and other stuff, preparing many meals for a diverse range of tastes, cleaning up after it all, chauffeuring people to and fro, planning events and schedules, maintaining the care of a pet or two. Then factor in time to yourself, time with your friends, romance with your partner, personal goals or interests—how will you ever juggle all this? The key is to approach the family not as a set of separate individuals pulling in twelve different directions, but as members within a group who all really do want to arrive together at the same destination.The Eliums teach us how to distinguish between the service-oriented environment of work, where energy is focused on a single goal or outcome, and the care-oriented environment of family, where there are multiple issues that need attention. When faced with conflict you will learn to ask, "What does this group of people need, including me?"—a questioning process known as FamilyMind.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Eliums are authors of the bestsellers, Raising a Son and Raising a Daughter. In Raising a Family, they focus on improving and maintaining the emotional health of the family by introducing the concept of "FamilyMind." FamilyMind is accessed by asking the question, "What does this family need right now, including me?" and it refocuses the relationship dynamics within a family group to make sure that everyone's needs are met. The book is aimed at families of all configurations--and will help you untangle long-standing patterns and reconnect in healthier, happier ways.

From Library Journal

The Eliums, family counselors and respected authors (Raising a Son, LJ 6/1/92; Raising a Daughter, Celestial Arts, 1995), here discuss a concept they call the "family mind," wherein the needs of all family members are considered. Whereas their previous books focused on practical applications, this work is far more theoretical. With disturbing naivete, the authors assume that all families have two parents with healthy, "normal" children; there is no mention of single parents, special-needs children, or extended families, including grandparents and stepparents. Libraries that do not have the Eliums' first two books should purchase them before considering this volume. Recommended for public libraries, with the reservations noted.?A. Arro Smith, San Marcos P.L., Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 259 pages
• Publisher: Celestial Arts (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890878188
• ISBN-13: 978-0890878187
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,126,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Family Counseling and the "FamilyMind" Idea, November 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Raising a Family: Living on Planet Parenthood (Paperback)

Don Elium is a marriage, family, and child counselor in private practice. Jeanne Elium has worked in child development, as a parent educator, and is most importantly the mother of a son and daughter. These two authors also wrote the RAISING A SON and RAISING A DAUGHTER books.

Dealing with typical obstacles that all families face, the Eliums came up with a concept they call "FamilyMind," which will be of great interest to anyone working in the family counseling area.

I found the greatest value in the chapter on "Conflict: An Opportunity for Intimacy," which presents a postitive way to use family conflict for the family's own benefit.