Official Review: Nobody's Perfect by Marlene Resnick Simons

[unamilagra]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Nobody's Perfect" by Marlene Resnick Simons.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Parenting is a difficult job. With two kids of my own, one of whom would be considered “strong-willed,” I am no stranger to parenting books. Therefore, I was delighted to get a chance to review Nobody’s Perfect: Parenting in a World of Change by Marlene Resnick Simons. Nobody’s Perfect is a concise, approachable book for those looking to improve their parenting skills and increase the odds that their kids will grow to be happy, kind, and well-adjusted people in today’s modern world.

The book is written in a nonjudgmental, friendly manner. The author emphasizes that perfection is not needed in parenting, but parents do need to have a good understanding of the job description, so to speak. She states that her “goal is for parents to become wise guides rather than CEOs or commanders.” She emphasizes that authoritarian parenting styles are not conducive to teaching children to make good choices on their own, leading instead to rebellion and sneakiness. By modeling the behavior and values we want to see our kids reflect, loving and supporting our kids unconditionally, even when they go through questionable phases, and including them in appropriate conflict resolution strategies rather than attempting to bend them to our will, we will provide them with the tools to become responsible adults.

I really liked that the author came from a place of expertise when writing this book. She has a Master’s degree in family studies and is a credentialed parent educator with experience as a director of foster care and counseling services. She presents many eye-opening points that I hadn’t found in other parenting books. For example, she points out that unless they have a relevant educational background, most parents never take a course in child development. This lack of education leads to misunderstandings and conflict which could be avoided if parents had a better understanding of their children’s developmental stages and abilities. Because toddlers and preschoolers typically display strong verbal skills, parents mistakenly assume that their logic and self-control are on a similar level. Therefore, parents often believe children misbehave due to naughtiness or disrespect rather than realizing they themselves have unrealistic expectations of their children’s abilities.

Although there were many helpful ideas in this book, I found that in some areas it lacked depth. There were several times when the author would make an interesting point, and just as I was getting ready to learn more, she would move to another subject. The author often mentioned common mistakes that parents make but was vague about the best alternatives. I would have loved to see more details about some of the points the author was making or some real-world examples of how to put some of her strategies into action. I would also have liked to see the book spend a little more time on older kids, as most of it was geared toward children ages 2 to 5.

The book was well-written overall. It flowed well, the tone was positive, and I noticed very few errors. I found a lot of the ideas helpful, and I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. If it went into a little more depth on some of the methods of changing parental behavior and avoiding common pitfalls, I think it would earn a perfect score. I would recommend this book to new parents and anyone who is committed to the idea of moving away from an authoritarian style of parenting.

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Nobody's Perfect
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[Vannaskivt]

I'm a parent and I've certainly felt this way so many times. Am I going to ruin my kids if I don't everything perfectly? Sounds like a great book to pick up and share with mom friends of mine as well. Thank you for your review.

[Pearl Akpan]

I’m not a parent in fact, considering my age i’m very much still a kid but I feel a sort of resentment sometimes for my parents lack of understanding of the need to be parents not authoritarians. You don’t automatically become a super hero devoid of flaws as a parent, you’re still human and that’s okay.

I’m really curious to read the detailed content of this book because one thing I learned was that you cannot train every child the same way because everyone is very different and so are the peculiarities of training them.

Thank you for a well detailed review. This is awesome!

[Tonze]

I am a parent and this book sound to be useful. Parenting is somehow difficult , I think we need to pay attention to every detail on our children's steps and help them through each stage they pass by increasing a good communication with them. So as I am always striving to be a good mother,this book is a must read. Thanks for the detailed review! Congratulations to the author

[Ellylion]

Well, abruptness and shifting from subject to subject can be tiresome for sure. I don't have kids, but I think the book can still be useful for those who have them or word with them Thanks for a great review!

[unamilagra]

I'm a parent and I've certainly felt this way so many times. Am I going to ruin my kids if I don't everything perfectly? Sounds like a great book to pick up and share with mom friends of mine as well. Thank you for your review.

Yes, I think all of us have the same worries! Thanks for commenting!

I’m not a parent in fact, considering my age i’m very much still a kid but I feel a sort of resentment sometimes for my parents lack of understanding of the need to be parents not authoritarians. You don’t automatically become a super hero devoid of flaws as a parent, you’re still human and that’s okay.

I’m really curious to read the detailed content of this book because one thing I learned was that you cannot train every child the same way because everyone is very different and so are the peculiarities of training them.

Thank you for a well detailed review. This is awesome!

Thanks for your comment!

I am a parent and this book sound to be useful. Parenting is somehow difficult , I think we need to pay attention to every detail on our children's steps and help them through each stage they pass by increasing a good communication with them. So as I am always striving to be a good mother,this book is a must read. Thanks for the detailed review! Congratulations to the author

Thank you for stopping by to comment!

Well, abruptness and shifting from subject to subject can be tiresome for sure. I don't have kids, but I think the book can still be useful for those who have them or word with them Thanks for a great review!

Yes, it asbolutely could! Thanks for commenting!

[Saint Bruno]

I concur with your observations. It's not easy to be a parent! Thanks for the detailed and insightful review and for introducing the book to me.

[Raluca_Mihaila]

As a parent, your opinion is much more valuable. Thank you very much for your honest review!

[Eutoc]

It's a good thing the book suited you. I hope it successfully exposed you to a lot more on parenting. Thanks for the review.

[Saint Bruno]

I also from at that kind of incongruous switches from one subject to another. The book makes up for that in other aspect, though. Thanks for the insightful review and recommendation.

[unamilagra]

I concur with your observations. It's not easy to be a parent! Thanks for the detailed and insightful review and for introducing the book to me.

Thanks for commenting!

As a parent, your opinion is much more valuable. Thank you very much for your honest review!

Thank you for your comment!

It's a good thing the book suited you. I hope it successfully exposed you to a lot more on parenting. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for stopping by!

[Dominik_G]

It's such an important message that parents don't need to be perfect, just "good enough." Thank you for your thorough and well-written review!