15 Minute Parenting 8-12 Years by Joanna Fortune – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I received for free.  All opinions are my own.

It has been a very long time since I have reviewed a book through NetGalley, mainly because I get so many authors approaching me directly, that I don’t have time to select books via NetGalley. However a new non-fiction publishing imprint Thread, has recently been set up who contacted me with details of their first titles, which were all free to review through NetGalley. And as a mum, I was very keen to read 15 Minute Parenting.

Here is the book blurb.

A mindful and practical parenting roadmap for busy, time-poor parents. Based on a simple and effective formula, it will transform family life in just fifteen minutes of daily play, resulting in less tears and more laughter.

Middle childhood, the period for those aged 8–12 years old, is often the most overlooked phase of a child’s development but it’s the age where play continue to serve an important role in their emotional growth. It’s also an age where we are most likely to stop playing with our children.

With over twenty years of clinical expertise and neuroscientific research, psychotherapist and parenting expert Joanna Fortune shares her proven techniques that will enable you to better understand your relationship with your children as they grow and ensure that your parenting is developing with them.

Packed with 15-minute games and activities that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine, Joanna also explores the neurological, physical and emotional development of 8-12 year olds and offers parents hands-on advice on how to deal with:

Friendships and bullying

Sibling relationships

Difficult conversations (the ones that catch you off guard!)

Risk-taking behaviour

Building independence, self-esteem and emotional resilience

Resistance

15-Minute Parenting 8-12 years will show you how to keep play alive with your child, foster great communication and help to secure strong foundations for adolescence.

There are two books in The Language of Play series. The first is targeted at parents of children age 0-7 and the second for those with children age 8-12. I chose to review the latter, as both my boys are older than seven. Joanna is currently writing a third title on parenting of teenagers.

This book is full of suggestions of what to do in 15 minutes, devoting that time to mindfully present play with your child or children. There are plenty of ideas, some of which may be things you already do, but hopefully lots of new material for everyone.

And there are chapters specifically focussing on sibling relationships, friendships, homework, independence, self-esteem, risk, special needs and preparing for the next stage. Also a chapter on ‘How do I get my child to …’ with topics like Engage in Physical Activity or What If questions. These range through What if my child will not do any chores, is being bullied, is the bully, steals.

However some of the props required for certain play activities were items I would rather not see promoted in a book like this. The two in particular for me were cotton wool balls, a single-use product and balloons which can be so dangerous to wildlife.

But I was especially pleased to see stories mentioned. My younger son has a set of Dr Who story cubes, which we enjoy using together for mindful play, even though my Dr Who knowledge is very basic compared to his level.

15 Minute Parenting 8-12 Years is available on Amazon in Kindle format, paperback and audiobook. A very good useful resource book.

You may find out more about the author Joanna Fortune and her #15MinuteParenting books on her website.

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