‘I straighten her little tiara every morning – I lift her chin and remind her that she is meant for greater things than playground bullies.’
‘Everything shines in its own time. There is no timetable for life. Timetables are for classrooms, not for people.’
These are just some of the wisdoms shared on The Village, South Africa’s beloved Facebook group for parents raising tweens, teens and young adults.
Having kids is a baffling endeavour beset with sulks, meltdowns, anxiety and disappointment – and that’s just the parents! When you get that call to the principal’s office? When the school acceptances don’t come? When the bedroom door slams and you hear your child sobbing behind it? All awful but the family years are also, to many of us, our most precious time. The trick? To find a way to enjoy our families, love our children and believe in them and ourselves despite the daily challenges. And laugh . . .
In this book, Vanessa Raphaely and Karin Schimke have gathered together experiences and insights from The Village members. These are the gems and remedies from the real parenting experts – the parents – to help you raise your family in your own perfectly imperfect way.
Vanessa Raphaely started her career on London’s Fleet Street before returning to SA to become the multi-award-winning editor of Cosmopolitan and to run Associated Media. After 20 years, she left and launched The Village. She is the author of the novel, Plus One, and children’s books. Karin Schimke is an author, editor and writing coach. In her journalism years, she was a parenting columnist for Femina magazine and Parent24. She is the author of the weekly ‘Love Letter’ tracking her adventures in her post-parenting years. |
Category: | Parenting |
ISBN: | 9781776192625 |
Publisher: | Jonathan Ball Publishers |
On sale: | August 2024 |
Format: | Trade Paperback |
eBook ISBN |