Les Kelloucq en voyage

But the other day, we were visiting the public library as a family and I came upon a book I had to check out. It is called Soft-Spoken Parenting by H. Wallace Goddard. The subtitle is even more alluring: 50 ways to not lose your temper with your kids. It seems that our kids have a way to annoy us. Two emails I received yesterday brought that point home, two friends complaining about how their kids are driving them nuts. So I know I am not alone.

Some of Goddard’s points might sound simplistic, but bear repeating. Most of all, he reminds us that kids are not aliens sent to torment us. In most cases, they do not forget the turn off the lights, refuse to wear a coat on cold days or spill juice on the new car seats just to annoy us. Goddard reminds us that kids are just trying to do the best they can and that snapping at them with humiliating remarks is not a good way to help them.

His 50 tips (that’s a bit gimmicky, but what the heck) include « Choose laughter over accusation », « Walk in their shoes » or « Teach rather than preach ». The neat little examples of both good and bad parenting seem just a little too perfect. But I found reading this book refreshing and encouraging, a reminder of what we parents are trying to achieve even though it sometimes seems to get lost in the daily routine and bustle.