Book preview: "Courageous Parenting"

As I've mentioned before, I'm honored to have been asked to write a chapter for the upcoming anthology Courageous Parents, Confident Kids, which is the brainchild of Amy Tiemann, author of Mojo Mom.

Last week's story in Time magazine about overparenting (the plastic wrap boy at right appears in a photo from the article) touches on the issues the book will be addressing. As Amy explains, "Our goal with Courageous Parenting is to expand the conversation by not only providing inspiration to raise independent kids, but also the skills and strategies that parents need in order to do so."

This new anthology will be published in April 2010 in paperback and e-book form. If you register with Real Life Support for Moms — by sending a "Sign Me Up" email to CP [at] LifeSupportForMoms.com (I'm not printing the actual @ address to protect against spammers) — I'll send you a free copy of the Courageous Parents, Confident Kids e-book as soon as it's released.

Amy's goal for the book is that it will improve families' lives by showing how parents can prepare for and encourage their children's growing independence—and not lose themselves in the process.

Here's the line-up of book's writers and what we'll each be talking about:

• Introduction by Amy Tiemann, Ph.D., author of Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising a Family and creator of MojoMom.com

I. The Courage to Invest in Your Own Development

• The Transformative Power of Self-Care by Renee Peterson Trudeau, author of The Mother’s Guide to Self Renewal, facilitator of Personal Renewal Groups through ReneeTrudeau.com

• Tools for Career Reinvention, by Kella Hatcher and Maryanne Perrin, co-founders of Balancing Professionals consulting.

II. Developing Your Courageous Parenting Style

• The Courage to Let Our Kids Solve Their Own Problems by Maya Frost, author of The New Global Student, creator of Smart Education Design.

• The Courage to Become Your Own Parenting “Expert” by Melissa Stanton, author of The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide, creator of Real Life Support for Moms.
  

• The Power of Personal Significance for Kids of All Ages by Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, offering local and online parent training.
  

• I’m Worried I Worry Too Much But How Do I Stop? by Jamie Woolf, author of Mom-in-Chief.

III. Real World Safety Skills for All

• Kidpower: Skills for Safety, Skills for Independence by Irene van der Zande, founder of Kidpower, Teenpower, Fullpower International.

• How to Say “Yes” to Your Kids’ Online Activities, by Linda Criddle, internet safety expert, author of Look Both Ways, Help Protect Your Family on the Internet, and the founder of iLookBothWays.com

IV. Finding your voice and raising it for the community

• Mom Bloggers Raising Their Political Voices by Joanne Bamberger, author of the PunditMom blog.

• Activist Parents: Challenge and Progress Through the Eyes of MomsRising.org by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, co-founder of MomsRising.org

• It Takes a Motherhood by Cooper Munroe and Emily McKhann, founders of TheMotherhood.com

Says Amy: "I have spent years developing relationships with these talented experts. Each and every one of them has changed my life in a significant way, and they have the potential to so for you, too!"