“Above All, Be Kind” is a fantastic book which I think any parent would benefit from (for that matter I think even people without children could benefit from it.) The author, Zoe Weil, has written a book that is not only incredibly thought-provoking, raising fundamental questions about living humanely with our children, the Earth and each other, but also loaded with practical childrearing advice.
Gandhi once said “My life is my message” and Zoe makes this her mantra throughout the book. She reminds us that we cannot expect our children to walk a path that we are unwilling to venture onto. While Zoe’s idea that living humanely through our every thought and action really resonates with me, it is her matter-of-fact attitude that really speaks to me. She does not get preachy and does not expect you to be super mom or dad. We are the first role models our children will have, but we are human and we all make mistakes. It is up to us to be able to pick ourselves up after them and turn those mistakes into learning experiences though. We need to hold ourselves accountable for our actions.
Zoe does not dictate what we are or are not to do, but rather she encourages us to use our own sense of morality in our choices. She suggests that the most important things to do when considering any challenge is:
- Provide information
- Teach critical thinking
- Instill the three R’s (reverence, respect, responsibility)
- Offer positive choices
The book is split into seconds dealing with each part of a child’s life from infancy to the teenage years. It also has a hefty appendix full of solid resources (statistics, products, reference books, websites etc) which make the task of start to live more humanely less daunting.
I have a feeling I will be referencing this book many times as Michael and my child grows. (After I buy it at least, I borrowed it from a friend…)
