Homegrown Talent
Sometimes a little parenting advice could come in handy—but when you manage to squeeze in a few minutes to read, a toilet training book just can’t compete with the latest bestseller (or the check-out fodder of Brangelina’s latest exploits or Oprah’s 10 newest steps to a perfect life, for that matter).
That’s why “The Way I See It: Life Lessons From a Child” is such a find. Ottawa-area author (and SavvyGrandmother) Genevieve Hone gives voice to Felix—a precocious two-and-a-half-year-old happy to share his thoughts on many topics. Felix has views on toilet training (a highly overrated process), new babies that don’t go away and temper tantrums that are like big explosions. Felix also shares his thoughts with his grandmother, a wise and thoughtful woman who contributes her own analysis in each chapter.
The beauty of this book is in its perspective. You’ll put it down with a new appreciation of how scary it must be to think (as Felix does) that your toes might disappear down the drain at the end of your bath. However, you’ll also be glad to discover that Felix is learning how parents feel too. “You can tell in the morning by your parents’ faces when they have done a lot of work during the night: they walk around slowly and they don’t say much even when they do talk. Try to put them in quiet surroundings…this may also be a good time to offer to watch your favourite show in the other room to help them get some peace and quiet.”
The knowledge Genevieve has accumulated in her career as a family therapist and social worker is apparent in the pages of this book and her sense of humour had us laughing out loud.
A page-turning parenting book—what a savvy concept!
