I know not everyone will share my affinity for education literature, but I wanted to make a list of a few of my favorite reads that mean a lot to me in my teaching, but also could transfer to parenting and home life. If you choose to read one, please let me know and I would love to have a conversation with you about it!
Mindset by Carol Dweck - This book is becoming standard practice for educators, but it is so much more powerful if the language and practices continue outside of the classroom into our homes and community. Dweck presents two mindsets: fixed and growth. In a fixed mindset, a person believes that their inherent abilities or character traits are set already and can't be changed much. An example might be the concept that someone is born smart, and doesn't have to work hard to understand concepts. A growth mindset on the other hand, is one in which a person believes "your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts." This is the mindset we want to encourage in our kids. To be successful, we all must face challenges and failures, but we can't sacrifice our sense of self through the process. We want to normalize hard work, grit, and perseverance through difficulties. One of my favorite quotes from the book - "Even in the growth mindset, failure can be a painful experience, but it doesn't define you. It's a problem to be faced, dealt with, and learned from."
"Vulnerability is not knowing victory or defeat, it's understanding the necessity of both."
"Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness."
"Love and belonging are irreducible needs all men, women, and children. It is what gives our lives purpose and meaning."
Click the image below to read Brene Brown's Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto!