Parenting One Day at a Time: Using the Tools of Recovery to Become Better Parents and Raise Better Kids. - Review - book review

Adolescence, Spring, 2001

PACKER, Alex J. Parenting One Day at a Time: Using the Tools of Recovery to Become Better Parents and Raise Better Kids. New York: Dell Trade Paperback, 1996. 320pp. $9.95 (p).

The conceptual foundations of recovery--patience, acceptance, honesty, gratitude, faith, humility, responsibility--are powerful, proven tools for personal growth. But does this approach really work with kids? Can the principles of twelve-step programs be applied to child-raising? The answer, echoed by thousands of parents who have done so and reaped the rewards, is yes. Using twelve-step principles along with concrete skills such as logical consequences and family meetings, Parenting One Day at a Time recognizes that recovery is child-raising. The tools we use to maintain our serenity and sobriety--making amends, letting go, asking for help, living in today--are the very tools we need as parents if our children are to grow into confident, capable adults. With moving, real-life examples and solid, keep-it-simple advice, Parenting One Day at a Time covers every facet of family relationships--building trust, setting limits, solving problems, encouraging responsibility, and more. This guide shows you how to prepa re your children for tomorrow by focusing on the quality of today. It shows you how to: be your child's "sponsor"; accept your children by accepting yourself; encourage honest, healthy communication; base discipline on making amends; nurture family fellowship; teach the true meaning of trust and love; and help your children grow into moral, addiction-free adults.