Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Zoom Out Parenting: The Big Picture Approach to Raising Children
    Zoom Out Parenting: The Big Picture Approach to Raising Children
    Zoom Out Parenting: The Big Picture Approach to Raising Children
    Ebook77 pages56 minutes

    Zoom Out Parenting: The Big Picture Approach to Raising Children

    By Bonnie W. Bricker

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    As parents, we see problems all around the globe and here at home, but often feel powerless to conquer the many issues that will affect our children's lives.

    Zoom Out Parenting provides parents with a framework for teaching our children the skills that will be needed in their lifetimes, with a simple and warm approach to one of the most important roles we'll ever have- parenting the next generation.

    When we gain a big picture perspective, parenting is less stressful and more rewarding. The bonus: Our children are better equipped to navigate and build a better world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateSep 15, 2014
    ISBN9781483536460
    Zoom Out Parenting: The Big Picture Approach to Raising Children

    Related to Zoom Out Parenting

    Related ebooks

    Relationships For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Working Artist

      Jul 9, 2021

      The Working Artist
      1 min read

    • Article

      Tots Gone wild

      Jan 4, 2020

      Tots Gone wild
      4 min read

    • Article

      Let Go Of Parental Guilt

      Mar 3, 2021

      Let Go Of Parental Guilt
      7 min read

    • Article

      A Lesson In Self-confidence

      Dec 12, 2019

      A Lesson In Self-confidence
      2 min read

    • Article

      Rethinking Work

      Jun 15, 2023

      Rethinking Work
      9 min read

    • Article

      Can We Stop The Ageing Clock?

      Mar 29, 2023

      DR MICHAEL ELSTEIN is a Sydney-based anti-ageing physician and writer. He is the author of three books including his latest, The Wellness Guide to Preventing the Diseases of Ageing. He has also designed the app The Diet Guide to Ageing Prevention. In

      3 min read

    • Article

      Financial Wellbeing

      Aug 25, 2021

      Financial Wellbeing
      2 min read

    • Article

      On Marriage and Money: A CFP's Perspective

      May 14, 2018

      For those in a committed relationship or recently engaged, there's lots of online advice about how to get through wedding planning and still have a wedding. From the "irritable bride/groom syndrome" to the planning-induced insomnia and worries about

      5 min read

    • Article

      Free Mentoring To Help Small Businesses Recover

      Jan 20, 2022

      A year of free business mentoring is up for grabs for 30 businesses across the country, as Business Mentors New Zealand celebrates 30 years of helping small businesses succeed. BMNZ is an independent not-for-profit that provides mentoring services to

      1 min read

    • Article

      Play The Kindness Game

      Jan 27, 2021

      Play The Kindness Game
      4 min read

    • Article

      10 Ways To Wellness

      Sep 8, 2019

      10 Ways To Wellness
      5 min read

    • Article

      MAKE TIME FOR happiness

      Feb 17, 2023

      MAKE TIME FOR happiness
      3 min read

    • Article

      From The Editor-in-chief

      May 4, 2022

      From The Editor-in-chief
      2 min read

    • Article

      Learn To Believe In Yourself

      Sep 29, 2023

      Learn To Believe In Yourself
      3 min read

    • Article

      Grandparents Ride To The Rescue

      Jul 28, 2021

      I am a big fan of grandparents looking after grandchildren. They are parents themselves, provide high-quality care and, best of all, offer unconditional love. Around 75% of grandparents see their grandkids at least once a month. Around 47% of grandmo

      4 min read

    • Article

      How To Work With A Mentor: 7 Top Tips

      Oct 20, 2021

      1. A mentor won’t do the work for you. Their role includes: • Acting as a sounding board. • Sharing their knowledge and expertise. • Assessing your business and the expertise within it. • Identifying areas that need improvement or development. • Sugg

      1 min read

    • Article

      The 2021 Life Reset

      Dec 22, 2020

      The 2021 Life Reset
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Toxic Positivity Trap

      Dec 2, 2021

      The Toxic Positivity Trap
      3 min read

    • Article

      What The World NEEDS NOW!

      May 31, 2023

      What The World NEEDS NOW!
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Grateful Kid

      Aug 1, 2017

      The Grateful Kid
      5 min read

    • Article

      Connection Is Key…

      Jun 23, 2023

      Connection Is Key…
      4 min read

    • Article

      Listen First, Speak Second

      Jul 8, 2020

      Listen First, Speak Second
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Zoom Out Parenting

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Zoom Out Parenting - Bonnie W. Bricker

      words.

      Introduction

      When your child is grown, many of your early child-rearing decisions may seem insignificant. It may not matter which diaper he wore, which spoon she used, or if you only read Caldecott-award winning books while sitting on your bamboo floor. All of your good choices reflect your great intentionality toward your child and your lifestyle, of course. But if those choices are made in a family with little care or action towards actually building something meaningful outside your home, it won't matter much. What will matter is the recognition that a zoomed out, big picture approach to life is essential to helping your child be a part of a better generation to come. And whether your child is developing in a more-or-less typical way, or if he is developing along a different path, it is this perspective that will make each day easier as you revel in the joys of parenthood and minimize those challenges that can ruin a day.

      It is far too easy to become immersed in meaningless details in the early years of parenting. The array of baby equipment that fills your house requires endless research. The experts, bloggers, friends and family members providing advice on the most mundane details of life are invaluable-and overwhelming. Parents are spending so much time zoomed in on the details that the big picture seems to have disappeared. Parents want and need quick answers to big, important questions. But answers to the complicated questions of parenting are never quick, and rarely easy.

      I have had the privilege of being a part of many parents' journeys as a teacher, a friend, a parent coach, and even (so happily!) as Nana. I have also been writing commentaries about public policy for a number of years, in my hopes of increasing public discussion around the big topics that ultimately affect all of us, and the generations to come—wars, political behavior, foreign policy. Hopping onto the journeys of other parents, from this zoomed out perspective, always imparts a lesson. And one of the biggest lessons I have learned is that there are many ways to be a good parent. Across the world and over time, there have been many approaches to parenting, and still the human race survives.

      But that does not mean that parents should be careless in their approach to parenting. Every generation has the capacity to pull down the existing framework of society and make it new. Whether it is for the better or worse is always the question. The challenge of this generation and the many more to come is to manage the vast complexity of lives washed in a sea of information, and to emerge ready to face the challenges effectively.

      Zooming in on the minutiae of daily details-from strollers, to childcare, to soccer coaches-is essential in the every-day life of your family. But staying in that zoomed in space, without looking at a bigger picture of the life ahead, does nothing to build the world for that next generation. And this rapidly changing world of ours requires that we apply thought to our actions, looking ahead to what will be needed to thrive in the next generation.

      Zooming out to look at a bigger picture can free you as a parent. Once you allow yourself some perspective on life, some of the decisions you need to make can be seen for what they really are– small and insignificant. Look at your family and friends. Stand on a street corner and watch people go by. Think about the vastness of human beings on this planet. There are so many good people, doing good in the world, and the kind of spoon they used as a child or the month they were weaned is of little consequence. Of greater consequence—they were loved. They were taught to survive in difficult circumstances. They were taught the value of hard work. Personal strengths were developed into talents and personal weaknesses were helped to be stronger. They solve problems with patience and creativity. And when they need help, they have the relationships that will foster support.

      Yet a zoomed out approach is not always easy. It's hard to think of the big picture when the little one just dumped her milk on her brother, or the two-year-old is refusing to put on his socks. But having a simple framework as a reference of thought can help you to quickly zoom out to gain perspective before you act; it can help you to plan opportunities to help your child gain needed skills and perspectives; it can even help you to reflect on your own blow-up over your child's refusal to share her toys. More important-if many of us raise our children with this kind of intentionality,

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1