Little Sprouts And The Dao Of Parenting Ancient Chinese Philosophy And The Art Of Raising Mindful Resilient And Compassionate Kids

“A brilliant book, overflowing with wisdom.” —Philip J. Ivanhoe, author of Confucian Reflections The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius compared children to tender sprouts, shaped by soil, sunlight, water, and the efforts of patient gardeners. At times children require our protection, other times we must take a step back and allow them to grow. A practical parenting manual, philosophical reflection on the relationship between parent and child, and necessary response to modern stereotypes of Eastern parenting, Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting reconsiders cultural definitions of success and explores how we might support and nourish young people. Engaging deeply with foundational Daoist and Confucian thinkers, philosopher Erin Cline shows how we can strengthen innate virtues of compassion, generosity, and individuality in our own tender sprouts.

A philosopher and mother mines classic Daoist and Confucian texts of Chinese philosophy for wisdom relevant to today’s parents. The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius compared children to tender sprouts, shaped by soil, sunlight, water, and, importantly, the efforts of patient farmers and gardeners. At times children require our protection, other times we must take a step back and allow them to grow. Like sprouts, a child’s character, tendencies, virtues, and vices are at once observable and ever-changing. A practical parenting manual, philosophical reflection on the relationship between parent and child, and necessary response to modern stereotypes of Eastern parenting, Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting reconsiders cultural definitions of success and explores how we might support and nourish young people. Engaging deeply with foundational Daoist and Confucian thinkers, Georgetown philosopher Erin Cline offers accessible, provocative musings on key parenting issues. She reveals how ancient Chinese philosophers encourage surprisingly modern values—a love of nature and of learning, mindfulness in everyday interactions, an embrace of disabilities and diversity, and the power of performing rituals with reflection—and relates these to concrete parenting practices, whether celebrating special occasions or finding a child’s unique talents and gifts. Little Sprouts shows how—through the nurturing efforts of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and teachers—we can strengthen innate virtues of compassion, generosity, and individuality in our own tender sprouts. With an engaging and intuitive approach, Cline offers a balanced philosophy that helps us grow into better parents of joyful, fulfilled children.

Disenfranchised Grief expands the professional helper’s understanding of the grief experiences that result from social, cultural, and relational oppression, microaggressions, disempowerment, and overt violence. The authors blend trauma-informed practice and recent research on critical race theory, cultural humility, and intersectionality to both broaden mental health professionals’ conceptualization of disenfranchised grief and its impacts and promote equity and inclusion among populations that have been marginalized.

Applying the ancient yet timeless 81 principles of Taoism to parenting, The Tao Of Parenting features instructive anecdotes from four families to demonstrate how Taoist teachings help parents raise good, healthy children. The stories are just as diverse as the families who tell them (a blended family featuring children from separate marriages, a couple with different cultural and ethical backgrounds, a single parent of twin boys, and a couple with different parenting techniques learning to compromise).Some of the Taoist principles used by these families include: *Do Not Think of Self. Shows the rewards parents receive by making their children their number one priority. *The material is fleeting, the spiritual is everlasting. Demonstrates the rewards of caring for those in need. *Do Not Be Authoritarian. Shows how to foster self-reliance and responsibility in children while supporting their efforts, rather than controlling their every move. *Follow the middle road; it is the heart of knowing. Offers the benefits of parents being neither too permissive or too strict, but rather adjusting the rules for each child and each circumstance. There are many more valuable lessons in this special book which can be used by parents of all faiths to help guide their lives and those of their children.

Classic Taoist wisdom applied to the world of parenting, guiding mothers and fathers to meaningful conversations and relationships with their children. William C. Martin has freshly reinterpreted the Tao Te Ching to speak directly and clearly to the most difficult of modern tasks -- parenting. With its combination of free verse and judicious advice, The Parent's Tao Te Ching addresses the great themes that permeate the Tao and that support loving parent- child relationships: responding without judgment, emulating natural processes, and balancing between doing and being. "A masterpiece. William Martin captures the essence of what it means to raise a child. Urgently needed, this precious book lifts parenting to new heights."-- Judy Ford, author of Wonderful Ways to Love a Child and Wonderful Ways to Be a Family

Confucian Reflections: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times is about the early Chinese Confucian classic the "Analects" Lunyu, attributed to the founder of the Confucian tradition, Kongzi (551-479 bce) and who is more commonly referred to as "Confucius" in the West. Philip J. Ivanhoe argues that the Analects is as relevant and important today as it has proven to be over the course of its more than 2000 year history, not only for the people who live in East Asian societies but for all human beings. The fact that this text has inspired so many talented people for so long, across a range of complex, creative, rich, and fascinating cultures offers a strong prima facie reason for thinking that the insights the Analects contains are not bound by either the particular time or cultural context in which the text took shape.

Papers from a series of conferences organized by the Esalen Institute Program on Revisioning Philosophy (a few of the 18 essays have been previously published) reflect one common theme--the need to out the envelope of contemporary philosophy from its academic constriction . . . are diverse in approach and belief as they address various aspects of philosophical inquiry; democracy, individualism, and pluralism; and spiritual traditions and philosophy. Paper edition (unseen), $10.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR