Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves: Transforming parent-child relationships from reaction and struggle to freedom, power and joy (Paperback)

~ Naomi Aldort (Author)
Key Phrases: emotional safety, loving your child, Raising Ourselves, Uncle John, Aunt Lily (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Every parent would happily give up ever scolding, punishing or threatening if she only knew how to ensure that her toddler/child/teen would thrive and act responsibly without such painful measures. Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves is the answer to this universal wish. It is not about gentle ways to control a child, but about a way of being and of understanding a child so she/he can be the best of herself, not because she fears you, but because she wants to, of her own free will.

"Aldort’s book should be on the must read list of all Moms and Dads. This book could carry a subtitle: "Saving the Emotional Lives of Our Children and The Future of Humanity.""

- James Prescott, Ph.D. Institute of Humanistic Science

"Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves operates on the radical premise that neither child nor parent must dominate; it is for those who want to give up scolding, threatening and punishing. Her SALVE "formula" alone is worth the price of the book." - Peggy O'Mara Editor and Publisher of Mothering

"Every once in awhile, a writer comes along who is comfortable speaking the truth, no matter how much it might challenge us or make us uncomfortable. Naomi Aldort is one of those people. In Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves, Naomi Aldort takes the struggle out of parenting and replaces controlling and shaping style of parenting with one that values, trusts and nurtures children's innate abilities and autonomy."

- Wendy Priesnitz Editor of Life Learning magazine, author of School Free and Challenging Assumptions in Education

"In this stunning insight into human nature, Naomi Aldort opens a window into harmonious family living. This book should to be widely read and not just by parents but by every being who strives for a more peaceful world."

- Veronika Robinson, Editor of The Mother magazine, UK

About the Author

Naomi Aldort, Ph.D. is a psychologist specializing in parenting. Parents from around the globe seek Aldort's advice by phone, in person and through her workshops and tapes/CDs. Her advice columns appear in parenting magazines in Canada, USA, AU, UK, and translated to German, Hebrew, Dutch, Japanese and Spanish.

Naomi Aldort is married and a mother of three. Her youngest son is twelve-year-old cellist Oliver Aldort.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Naomi Aldort, PhD (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887542329
• ISBN-13: 978-1887542326
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,726 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Nonfiction > Women's Studies > Motherhood
  #29 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Babies & Toddlers > Child Development
  #40 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Child Care

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book solved my problems with my difficult child, October 6, 2006

By	K. Trumble (Harbor Springs, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have a young child who tends to get very aggressive when trying to tell me that his needs aren't being met. Until recently, he never listened to anything I asked of him. I was at my wits end. I'd tried everything. Things only got worse.

Then I found the answer that unlocked the mystery behind my child's behavior in Aldort's book, "Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves." It changed my relationship with my son the day I started following her recommendations. As I learned from the book (verified by my experience) it won't do any good to punish a child's behavior; it fact, it will only make it worse. There's an underlying reason for his behavior, and until I address it in an understanding and kind way, it will continue. Now I understand why he was acting the way he was and, more importantly, how I was causing it without even knowing it. Once I understood him, I could concentrate on solving the larger problem rather than correcting (punishing) the behavior.

Ever since I changed the way I interact with and speak to my child (according to Aldort's recommendations), my relationship with him has been transformed and, no surprise, he hasn't been aggressive at all. The book has given me tools of love and connection in all areas of parenting. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Buy one for yourself and one for all of your friends.

82 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our world needs this book - QUICK!, March 5, 2007

By	Sibilana (CA) - See all my reviews

I agree with most of the 5-star reviews here. This is the best parenting book I've found - a great leap from the many modern parenting books out there. In fact, I'd say it is the only parenting book you will ever need! Like another reviewer, I am ordering many copies and actively distributing to all the parents I know.

Finally, a book that spells out with crystal clarity that yes, you can respect and trust your children fully, and love them unconditionally, without any "ifs" and "buts".

Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves provides the tools for being always kind and loving in our day-to-day interactions with our children, and illustrates the guidance via eloquent real-life examples. These tools are easy to remember and put to practice, and they actually work. This book has transformed my relationship with my 10-month old, giving me permission to fully love her the way I always felt - without holding back ANYTHING! Quite a liberating shift. The guidance carries all the way from infancy through the teen years, and I am so grateful that I stumbled upon it while she is still little!

The transformative effect of the book goes way beyond parenting, as both the title, and the subtitle proposed by James Prescott on the cover ('Saving the emotional lives of our children and the future of humanity'), suggest. It lays out a readily available path to self-healing and self-realization through our relationship with our children (as well as with other people): simply by starting to examine how we respond to others a little more closely. Imho, this is one of the most important books ever written, period.

I have a wish. I grew up in Europe (France) and, really, I CANNOT WAIT to see the book available there as well, in other languages, and start infusing its wisdom and compassion overseas. Any publisher out there interested in making a difference? Call Naomi today, you'll do yourself and the world a favor. Our world needs this book. QUICK!

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm buying it for every parent I know, September 10, 2007

By	Marie Goodwin (Media, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I recently read "Raising our Children, Raising Ourselves"
and I have to say that it is an amazing book and one that has created a
fundamental shift in how I approach my relationship with my children. I
have always been an advocate for gentle and respectful parenting, but this
book has offered me "mental" tools to examine my own internal world and
reactions to my children, and frankly, my spouse. I've passed it along to
several friends and they feel the same.