Book Review and Giveaway: The Tao of Motherhood by Vinala McClure

** this giveaway is closed **

This little book is actually a reprint on the 20th Anniversary of the original printing! WOW!

But it's a wonderful book, especially for new mothers and I was happy to share it with you!

Synopsis: When Vimala McClure became a mom, she quickly realized that everything she had learned about spirituality was being put to the test. HOW many of us can relate to that? It does seem to go hand in hand, doesn't it? She realized that in order to give her children the respect, acceptance, encouragement, discipline, and unconditional love that they needed, she had to learn about those things for herself.

Mothering became her spiritual practice. “As my children grew our relationships provided so much growth for me,” writes McClure. “Children are mirrors; they will always show you exactly what is going on inside of you. Each phase of their growth is an opportunity to heal your own pain, to go deeper inside yourself and become more fully human.”

When McClure began studying the ancient Chinese wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, she recognized how its wisdom, which was originally intended for warriors and political leaders, spoke directly to the spiritual bond between mother and child. That’s how the book was born twenty years ago. The new edition is beautifully illustrated with line drawings specially commissioned for it (and they are gorgeous!)

Review: This is very similar to the Christian devotionals on Motherhood that I've talked about on this blog. Using simple essays or poems, the author gives you some really great perspective in parenting children of any age!

Here are two of my favorites: 

•   “Do not reward performance. Rather, respond to Spirit expressing the Way. You are a mirror with which your child sees—and corrects—himself. How often are we at a soccer match or baseball game and see kids reacting how their parents are in the stands. Good sportsmanship starts with the parents. Kids mirror what we DO, so show them how to behave!

  •    “The child who feels your respect during silences is nourished more than the child who is constantly fussed and chattered over.” AKA, watch the helicopter parenting! Sometimes letting kids just BE is more important- it helps foster their creativity and self reliance- things they will need as adults!

The book may seem 'new agey' due to the Taoism, but if you read the kernel of what she is suggesting, you will see she is right on the concept (you just may prefer different phrasing). After I learned to do that, I found the book full of wonderful ideas to strive for in parenting, and new ways to teach my child.

About the Author:

Vimala McClure is the author of The Tao of Motherhood. She’s also the founder of the International Association of Infant Massage. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. 

Giveaway:

Winner will each receive this review copy of The Tao of Motherhood!

Entries:

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If I don't have a way to contact you, you will forfeit your win!

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Contest will end on May 25th, at midnight. Winner will be picked by Random Number (random.org) on May 26th, and emailed. As soon as winners' info is received, I will mail their book to them on the next mail run.

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book for review purposes on this blog, free of harge, from New World Library Press .No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about the book.