Customer Reviews

The Tibetan Art of Parenting: From Before Conception through Early Childhood

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This is a good book that takes an intimate look at Tibetan culture. One of the most fascanating aspects of cultures is how each one has a different technique to raise their young ones. There is no other book like it to my knowledge. Neat parenting ideas, and great information about Tibetan culture.

While spending two weeks traveling through Northern India a few years ago, I visited the Tibetan enclave in the village of MacLeod Ganj near Dharamsala and was quite impressed by the people in this small community. In contrast to the sometimes overwhelming and always stressful noise and chaos of the other places I had seen in India, the Tibetan community in India seemed calm, peaceful, and happy in a quiet way, and spending time among them made me feel at peace as well. Reasoning that the manner of upbringing of their children must be of crucial importance in making these people seem so peaceful and content, I bought this book hoping to learn how Tibetans raise their children and understand how that upbringing shapes their personalities and inner lives. Unfortunately I found this book rather disappointing. The authors devote a very large part of its content to descriptions of superstitious practices (e.g., those intended to drive away evil spirits, etc.) rooted in Tibetan shamanistic traditions and folklore. There is too little discussion of the spiritual practices that shape the inner lives of Tibetans, apart from a couple pages describing the way respect for all life is inculcated in Tibetan children and brief, passing mentions of similar issues. After finishing this book I still felt that the secret of the Tibetan inner balance and harmony that I had observed in India remained largely a mystery.

An easy read and certainly of interest to those wishing to understand Buddhist thought on life/death and the importance of birth/rebirth! This book sparked a series of readings for us and still going! Cultural differences between Eastern/Western birth experiences are also of interest here; the role of mother and birth SHOULD be more revered, as illustrated in this book, very nicely, no matter what your faith or background. Enjoy!

What an amazing read. A must for anyone working with children, has children, or is planning on conceiving.