stagnant versus dynamic parenting…

I like to read books about topics which are pertinent to me. This includes parenting books – specifically non-coercive or consensual living books. I feel that I am a better parent when I am actively seeking growth – as a parent and as a person. When I read the books, I’m not looking for someone to tell me how to parent or to even validate my decisions. I’m pretty secure in my parenting style. I fully believe in consensual living. Instead, I’m looking for something to stretch my mind – just something to make me think about a topic, even if I’ve deeply contemplated the same topic in the past. I’m further in my journey now, and by revisiting topics, I find that I have reached a new level of understanding or competence.

I’ve heard people say that they don’t feel a need to read parenting books or think about the topics in depth. They parent based on instinct and reading books isn’t going to help that. I also parent based on instinct, but I feel that reading books, discussing concepts, and seeking out new information is important. These things help me to grow as a parent and a person, and therefore helps me to be a better, more dynamic parent. Fo me it is a matter of actively challenging myself to be better. If you aren’t actively parenting, your children are losing out. If you aren’t growing, you are stagnant.