As both a parent of two teenage boys and a clinical psychologist who works with children and teens, I look for ways to parent that cultivate both loving and brave hearts. Christopher Willard offers some practical advice to parents in his book Raising Resilience, which focuses on ten universal principles, drawn from the ten paramis, or the ten perfections of the heart, found in Buddhist philosophy. He shares experiences from his own life as a parent and clinician while also bringing in relevant research in neuroscience to highlight how these growing these traits helps children and families thrive. He balances offering specific advice with asking questions to prompt parents to consider for themselves how they can take the principles and both embody and teach them at home. The principles include generosity, ethics, letting go, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving kindness and equanimity.
If you would like an opportunity to learn from this book with other like-minded parents, I invite you to join us this Sunday for our live online book club at 8 pm Central. We will discuss ideas from the first three chapters as well as ways to apply them to our own circumstances. We will gain wisdom from each other as well as the book. We will also join in a brief meditation together to cultivate these traits in our own lives. Whether or not you have a chance to read the chapters ahead of time, you are welcome to attend.
— Amy Balentine
