Vicki Hoefle

I've never encountered a book where the author quotes herself at the beginning of a chapter . . . and, like many of these guides, it is very repetitive. Make a point, illustrate with some anecdotes, make the point again. Maybe come at it from a slightly different angle and go through that process several times. That said, the points Hoefle makes are solid. You owe it to your children to prepare them in a steady and sensible and thoughtful way for adult life. No matter how much you enjoy them as children, every day they are closer to growing up when they will need the skills to lead meaningful lives. You can only do this by encouraging them to do things for themselves, by paying attention, by staying abreast of what they are actually capable of, showing them what they need to do to help themselves and then keeping your mouth shut and letting them figure out the rest on their own. Somewhere in the middle is a useful list of the skills your child will need to learn by eighteen, and also, near the end a chapter on "roadmapping" -- I think it is the kind of work, essentially, that many people do with coaches. Identify where you want to be in a year, say, then work backward, to the smallest steps you need to take to arrive there. I'm simplifying, of course, but that is the essence of it. I'm not sure I am capable of being as sensible and pragmatic as she advises -- I am not even sure I would want to be, really, but I think her ideas are very sound. You can read this book quite quickly! ***1/2… (más)