Great title eh?
I wish it were mine.
It is written by a great PHD Wendy Mogul and combines parenting techniques and the Jewish Faith.
Only half way through…but have already officially decided that if ever anyone made me become really religious one day…I think I will have to become Jewish. (It’s not going to happen but it’s still fun to think about).
I love this book. The expression from it so far that keeps running through my head is: Let God (Life) do the Work. Let Him do the work and follow His path.
I love that He and His is the child (your child) and not a mighty power. I love that the expectation is that God..means Life…and that your child is in charge of doing the work and finding his true path.
I have always heard from many religions the notion of we don’t own our children they are lent to us. It resonates with me.. But I love that in this book the kids own their paths; they make their decisions. They make their mistakes…they screw up….they recover and their God happily smiles down upon them with flaws and all. He accepts them for whoever they are and who they become.
This He knows full well that those little and big kids are supposed to make mistakes all the time and all along the way.
So I think I rather like the Jewish religion based on this book anyways. It makes sense to me.
There have often been a lot of things about various religions that I have admired…and many other aspects which really don’t sit well with me. Some parts draw me in and other parts turn me off completely.
I often feel a bit reluctant about writing about religion or politics on my blog since so many people have a differing view and belief systems. I never want to offend in any way, but on the other hand I think religious views are very important to people whether religious or not and it is part of my own growth to write on some of mine and explore these feelings. Lucky for me I come from a close and diverse circle of many people with many various beliefs. We are all very respectful of each sharing our own personal views.
I often feel a bit reluctant about writing about religion or politics on my blog since so many people have a differing view and belief systems. I never want to offend in any way, but on the other hand I think religious views are very important to people whether religious or not and it is part of my own growth to write on some of mine and explore these feelings. Lucky for me I come from a close and diverse circle of many people with many various beliefs. We are all very respectful of each sharing our own personal views.
For me, I think the show-stopper in general about many of the religions I know about so far is that I perceive that they all hold that we are supposed to make mistakes and find your right paths, but yet the rules are often so prescriptive so to me a large contradiction in so many ways.
“Welcome to the pearly white gates of Heaven person….you can come in if:”
You have not had pre-marital sex
You have respected your neighbor
You have not screwed up to much in your life
You pray to me at least three times a day
Or if you have done all the above but still want a place in my Kingdom you must sit in a little booth and apologize for all your wrong doings behind a curtain and then..maybe I will let you in…
Etc..etc..etc…
Where is the mistake making part? Where does that fit in? What about individuality and the people that might not fit into certain profiles....do they have to conform to be accepted?
So I felt like the God in the Jewish parenting book I am reading is someone who I could potentially get to know. Sounds like he is aware of his own shortcoming and imperfections and more than willing to let all of us humans also make a whole bunch of them.
In terms of parenting, what I appreciate about this book is that the Jewish faith expects parenting to be really, really tough and also life for kids and teens to be really really tough too. There’s a lot of mental growing that goes on…and it is not to be taken lightly. Jews think life is better when it is harder.
That our kids, are different from us and as much as we think we may know what they need, or not need, or want or not want. We don’t know. And neither does a higher power for that matter.
Our children our unique beings with their own lives to lead, their own joys to discover and their own sorrows to cry. We can help and assist that path..but it never belongs to us or to anyone.
And we should not mold it too much or else we risk interfering. Life is a series of lessons to be taught..
Let Life teach.
