Family Entanglement - Unraveling the Knots and Finding Joy in the Parent-Child Journey (Paperback)

Starting out as a parent can be an overwhelming experience for which many people feel unprepared. While feeling the bewilderment, stress, and exhaustion that is inherent in this life-changing situation, a fleeting glimpse of what happens behind closed doors would do wonders in letting parents know they are not alone in what they are experiencing. This priceless new book provides parents with the personal stories and professional insights that provide them with this perspective. Through touching anecdotes and professional guidance, this educational guide explores the complexity of familial bonds, the idea of the befuddled parent, the concept of a core or authentic self, and the redemption and forgiveness needed to address all of our imperfections. In this superb guide the author freely shares her own experiences as a parent and frankly discusses the psychological issues that many parents face. She proposes a relationship model of parenting, in which parent and child learn flexibility and resilience as well as mutual participation and influence. Tried and tested in the Toronto household it is a paradigm that reduces family conflict, and creates an atmosphere of harmony in the home. A field guide to the intricacies of parenthood, the book explains the tools needed to successfully traverse and enjoy its often rough terrain. Family Entanglement takes readers through the familial arc from the early years of sleep deprivation, the middle years of school and homework, the teen years of sexuality and autonomy, and the bittersweet era of grown children leaving home. Possessing an all-encompassing approach that is supremely informative while extraordinarily touching, this invaluable book provides parents with an authoritative look at all the complexities of the parenting experience.