For this week's Writer's Wednesday we have a wonderful review from Julia Wilson, who recaps the main themes of the book and emphasises how the power of listening and loving our children can help to build emotional wellbeing as they grow and fight anxiety.
(This review was originally published by Julia Wilson on her blog, christianbookaholic.com. You can find the original blog post here.)
A Mind Of Their Own by Katharine Hill is a powerful book exploring how our children can not only survive but thrive in today’s world which is very different from yesterday. “Our children are growing up in a fast-changing world, light years away from the one most of us grew up in.”
The pressure to succeed is huge. “Young people feel under pressure to be the best.” As parents and grandparents it is up to us to help remove the added pressure. We need to lay down good foundations for all the family, providing love, nurture and care. We need to be there for our children when they succeed and when they fail – for it is only in failing that we learn some of our deepest lessons. “Failure is not what defines us, but how we respond to it will shape us.”
Listen carefully
Today’s children have a huge pressure to achieve outstanding results. They believe “their worth is based on exam results.” We need to take the pressure off and let them realise that success is not always measured by pieces of paper and certificates in frames.
As parents we need to listen to our children. “Just because their voice is small, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be heard.” We must make sure we are fully present and not have our eyes focused on something else.
Katharine Hill looks at the power of words. Our words can build up or tear down. “Positive words can change our thinking and our behaviour.” We often live up or down to the words spoken over us.
Likewise labels can be damaging. “Labels… can end up defining them [our children] and putting a glass ceiling on their growth and learning.” Our children need to have wings to fly and not be constrained by the views of others.
School
Technology can be helpful but it can also be damaging. As our children grow up in the digital age we need to make sure their viewing online is healthy. There is also the added problem of cyber-bullying. When we were at school, we could escape the bullies at home time but now there is no escape.
Katharine Hill looks at the impact of COVID19 on our children as they have missed out on schooling, seeing their friends and having proms. It has been an anxious time for many.
Unconditional Love
The most important thing we can do for our children is to love them unconditionally. We need to provide a safe space in our families for their growth and development.
A Mind Of Their Own is a powerful read. Each chapter includes personal stories and finishes with action points and activities. Katharine Hill has a very personable style, giving good sound advice to help us produce the next generation of secure, well rounded adults. I would recommend this book to all parents and grandparents. Our children’s emotional well being could be altered by this book if we would follow the sound advice.
Author
Julia writes on her blog ChristianBookaholic.com reviews books both fiction and non-fiction on all topics, and is indeed a self-confessed bookaholic. She mostly reads Christian literature but also reviews numerous General Market titles as well. When she has a spare minute away from the books, she occasional writes articles for publications such as Woman Alive.
Julia lives in Worcestershire with her husband, they have 4 children and 5 great-grandchildren. She loves Jesus, regularly attends their lively church, Lifecentral, and only reads and reviews books she would feel willing to have displayed at church.
