The Joys and Sorrows of Parenting. Группа авторов

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       Introduction

       Society’s messages

       Romanticism

       Responsibility

       Love

       Irritation

       Authority

       Saying NO

       Appreciation

       Irony

       The good enough parent

       Work and family

       Disagreements

       Sex

       Soothing

       Staying together

       Against the compliant child

       Ambivalence

       When they say ‘I hate you’

       Sadness

       The skills to deal with grief

       Developmental milestones

       Setting an example

       Disappointment

       Adolescence

       Separation

       Gratitude

      Introduction

      Being a parent can be one of the sources of our greatest joys. It is also – intermittently – the cause of some of our deepest sorrows. It is likely that we will spend at least some of the time in despair and confusion, wondering whether it really has to be so hard. Philosophy has, over the last 2,000 years, been a discipline committed to calm, kindness, perspective and a reduction of paranoia. It is one of the most useful sources of solace and humanity. The Joys and Sorrows of Parenting is made up of 26 small essays that aim to provide understanding of and consolation for the trials and pleasures of parenting. They will provoke insight, recognition and a far more forgiving, generous assessment of one’s challenges. This book promises us a gentle way of staying calm around one of the most arduous, yet deeply fulfilling, jobs in the world.