ED. S LCSW CFLE John P. McQueen Books

Reality-Based Parenting: How Parents of African Descent Can Cultivate Loving Relationships With their Children is a thoughtful, inspirational, sensitive and culturally-driven how-to manual designed for parents in the African diaspora who long to know themselves. The cumulative effect of self-discovery (development of self-awareness and acquisition of self-knowledge) is the transmission of cultural and spiritual heritage to the next generation. As a developmental and transformational process, Reality-Based Parenting is culturally specific, not universal. This is based on the multi-cultural premise of "fullness before overflow." That is to say a group must recognize and affirm itself before it is able to share and appreciate the differences of others. Cultural competency then is the distinguishing characteristic of reality-based parenting. Through this book, parents are enabled to use what they have - their cultural strengths - to obtain what they want: a tested plan for nurturing children, a formula for instilling disciplining in the young, a model for psycho-social recovery. Conscientious readers are inspired to apply the book's content to activities of daily living so that "... our sons may flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants; and our daughters may be like cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a palace" (Psalms 144: 12-14).