Hey, Mom: A Positive Approach to Parenting

By Sylvia Spicer

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1884724108
• ISBN13: 9781884724107
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Women of Diversity Productions
• Length: 186 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

A refreshing and sensitive approach for positive living.

"Hey, Mom" is a delightful, refreshing piece of writing reflecting the whit and personal sensitivity and philosophy of the author on raising a child as a single parent. The author shares with us her style of raising her son, which reflects more of a partnership, rather than a traditional parent child relationship. Through the book, this partnership between two people grows and develops as they explore the world through the eyes of a child. The author, as the parent, shares her knowledge and experience with her son, who in his own way adds wisdom and comfort. I found the reflections and stories appropriate for any human relationship, be it personal, professional or casual. As a senior manager in a government agency, the stories shared in the book reminded me of how I should and could relate to my managers and staff. They also provided me with "food for thought" on the important things in life. Upon the need to remain focused upon the value of human relationships and how we should nurture them; to focus upon the larger issues in life rather than be distracted with the small, insignificant items; upon those issues that we can influence and change rather than those about which we have little or no control.Although very light reading, the book is full of inspiration and I would compare it to Ken Blanchard's "One Minute Manager" where a strong, optimistic philosophy comes through and the reader can take from it whatever is appropriate and meaningful. This is a book that would be appropriate for a variety of people to read. Teenagers seeking ways of adding meaning to their world and/or relationships with siblings, parents and friends; parents reading to their children to illustrate a point; managers seeking to add meaning to working relationships and their management style; members of workteams trying to strengthen their relationships and productivity; counselors seeking to clarify issues for clients; and anyone wanting to learn more about themselves.It sounds like a panacea, however nothing is a panacea. What the author offers, is her shared experiences with her son and what they mean to her. It is the reader who adds meaning to the content, takes from it what they will and uses the information as they choose. The author has thrown the gauntlet out to the reader to develop meaningful partnerships in life, to grow together and create a positive environment in which to live and work. This partnership between mother and son is refreshing and opens up for all of us, a positive experience which we can access, if we wish to learn and grow.

A gathering of life's tools that stimulates tears of joy.

William Wordsworth once wrote, "The child is father of the man" and explored briefly the influence childhood has upon the adult. "Hey, Mom" written by Sylvia Spicer, does even more. It is a gathering of life's tools that stimulates laughter, tears of joy and progressive thinking. In a published review, "Parent and Child" gave it a positive recommendation stating, "Every once in a while a book comes along that is very charming and, at the same time, very real. Such is the new book by Sylvia Spicer Hey, Mom". The author intends to show how seeing life's experiences through the eyes of a child can soften and illuminate the landscape. After all, it's what we do with our experiences, not so much the experiences themselves, that cause us to grow or falter. And this book enables us to recall and nourish ourselves through remembered experience. As Wordsworth said of the experience of seeing "a host of golden daffodills" the remembrance of the scene at a later time is the real value of it. As Spicer says, if we see in our present experiences something positive, we shall have in the future a memory that is positive and rewarding. Today's experiences are tomorrow's memories. This book makes a positive contribution to the reader.

A refreshing book that leaves a tear in the aftersmile.

"Hey, Mom" by Sylvia Spicer is more than just a positive approach to parenting. It is a refreshing and sensitive appeal for a return to common sense which has been sorely lacking in this post sixties world. It was definitely not the author's choice to end up as a single mom. The hurt and humiliation caused by a husband who deserted and left her pregnant could have resulted in such bitterness that we would have seen the familiar pattern of overcompensation with an overindulged, selfish child. Spicer chose to return to the small town in Indiana where she grew up and where her parents were still living. There she could have her own space with loving parents a few blocks away. After listening to the advice of friends and reading the current theories posed by child rearing experts, Spicer concluded that the best example she had was the loving home her parents had provided for her. She decided that the advantages to her child in this small town of her childhood outweighed the money and better career opportunities elsewhere. Day by day, at each age of his life, her son was taught consideration for others, respect and love of God and responsibility for his own acts in such a loving way. Best of all, she never lost her sense of humor. Sometimes Zach seems more mature than his years, but he proves to be a testimony to the REAL values of the old fashioned principles exemplified by her parents. In spite of the grief of losing both a beloved sister and mother the author's faith in God and reliance on a caring family restore her optimistic disposition. Zach lives up to the meaning of his name, "God's Gracious Gift." Reading the book from the perspective of a grandparent, I ended with the hope that my own children feel as positive about the loving home my husband and I tried to create.