Tag Archives: Parenting

The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents

Saw my friend post a pox of the following poem from the book.

Make the Ordinary Come Alive
Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is a way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples, and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.
By William Martin, The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents.

Off the bat it caught my attention. Why would anyone say – “Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives”? But then I read the rest of it and it did make sense.  Still would like to ask girls to strive for the most extraordinary, but also remind them to pay attention to the minute details too. Because it is the collection of

– manzoor

Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids

Why Being a Great Parent is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think

The argument the book makes is fairly simple – all the “tough parenting” exercise is probably not having as much of an affect, specially long term affect, as we would like to believe that they are.

If they are not having he long term affect than why do it – specially if it is not something that you enjoy – tough parenting. Instead, enjoy your kids and you may find yourself wanting to have more kids.

– manzoor

Parents and Parenting

It was very interesting that the day started with this theme – I was listening to the “Morning Edition” on KUT and they were talking about “Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids” immediately followed by this story about a father and his daughter.

Being a parent / father of 2 wonderful daughter I cannot but help think of parenting in broad general term and my role in it specifically. I really wish parenting came with a sure fire manual. But it didn’t and now we are constantly learning and adapting.

More recently (January ’18) a friend of our’s shared an article that talks about screwing up a little bit and how that is not such a bad thing.

– Manzoor