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The Twelve Unbreakable Principles of Parenting

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O'Connor was inspired to write this book after she worked on a mission statement for her parish. Following that experience she recognized that the same process could be used to help her decide where to focus her energy and attention as a parent. The twelve principles that evolved reflect her own experiences and interests, "and the ways I want to act as a counterforce to the contemporary western culture in which we live."

While sharing these principles and methods for carrying them out, O'Connor makes clear that her goal is to encourage other parents to examine their personal values, then develop guidelines of their own.

Certainly her reflections and examples on such topics as unconditional love, the need for structure, taking responsibility, caring for the earth, and appreciating the arts are useful models for all parents. The opening page of each short chapter contains a graphic, a statement of the principle, and a brief definition. O'Connor explains how she came to choose and refine each principle and how it works in her family. Concrete examples include family recycling and buying second-hand clothing in response to the earth principle and developing some "predetermined responses" to support the structure principle.