It’s all about love, self-worth, and respect.
The inspiration for this book grew as I met with my good friend, Jim Freeman, Ed.D., as he was studying and researching for his Doctorate in Education. We met every week for several years to discuss our plans, ideas, and goals.
Each week, Jim talked about his ideas, about students’ self-worth and shared his ideas to stop teacher burnout and ways to build students’ self-worth. Jim actually started a special school within a district to bring students who had been expelled and ended up running wild on the streets. Jim believed and proved that children who are shown love and cared for will want to go to school and learn. Over five years, his school took hundreds of children who had been expelled, brought them back to school, worked with the children and the teachers, and successfully helped almost all of them graduate with passing grades.
It’s all about love, self-worth, and respect.
As time went by, I kept thinking, wow, if these ideas were put into a parenting book, that is where the process should begin. Children with good self-worth developed at home would have much less trouble in the school room. Children need to know that someone has their back. I keep saying to Jim, you need to write a book using your Worth Model that would speak to parents. Jim kept saying to me, I work with the teachers. That is my focus, and that is the book I am writing.
After Jim received his doctorate in Education, we discussed his book and my idea for a parenting book again. I once again said to Jim, why not write a parenting book? This information is required or needed information that parents must know. Jim once again told me, no, I am writing the Worth Model book for teachers.
It was at this point, about the beginning of the year 2023, that I asked, “ok, Jim, if you aren’t interested in writing for the parents, how about if I come up with some questions and interview you about the Self-Worth model and write a book from those transcripts?” Jim said, “Go for it.” And I did. Parenting – Creating The Happy Dance was born.
It took a couple of months to do the interviews, but I finally finished the last one. I began transcribing, cut out all but the great ones, and developed “Parenting – Creating The Happy Dance.”
I used 8 of the interviews and then added some personal development chapters because parents also need to take care of themselves to better deal with the ups and downs of parenting. As with life itself, parenting is not all rosy. There are days when a parent is at their wit’s end, from work stress, social and family stress, and health problems that are rampant in today’s society, from eating unhealthy food and not getting enough rest.
To finish the book, I asked some of my Facebook friends to submit quotes about parenting they learned from their parents. You can read them in Chapter 11, Quotes From Moms and Dads. They are interesting and fun, and you can use them in your family talk.
I am sorry to say that Jim passed away on December 20, 2023. I know he was happy that Parenting – Creating The Happy Dance was being published. Sometimes, I felt as if he was more excited about the book than I was. Jim, you are dearly missed, and part of your legacy lives on in this book.
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