I requested a review copy of the book Innately Good by Jan Denise.
I’m constantly trying to word things in such a way that my daughter has confidence in herself as she grows up. As a young child and even through high school, I had little confidence. I’m not sure if it was the way I was born or a product of my upbringing, but I am determined to provide my daughter with as much assistance in this area as possible.
I know that how we say things as parents are taken to heart by our children and we have to watch our words. Sometimes, I think that we don’t always realize exactly how our words impact our children.
I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by this book. Although it was an interesting read, I found that reading it from a parent’s perspective, I didn’t walk away with any specific techniques in order to raise a confident “good enough” child. I feel like the book is much more relevant for an adult who currently feels like they aren’t good enough and how to change that. There was nothing wrong with the book at all, I just didn’t get out of it what I was hoping.
Having said that, Jan Denise has such great advice and she definitely offers sound advice to parents.
Post Update:
I heard from the author and she had some very relevant points as to why the book is still very helpful for parents. She said that while the book’s focus is on adults, that it is important to remember that adults raise children. And children learn the most from what their parents show them. Jan Denise feels that if she can help adults to find self-esteem by finding their inner goodness and aligning with it (the only way to self-esteem), then she has also helped them to raise children with self-esteem. (paraphrased from my e-conversation with Jan Denise)
