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The Blessing Of A B Minus: Using Jewish Teachings To Raise Resilient Teenagers (2010)

by Wendy Mogel(Favorite Author)

4.15 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1416542035 (ISBN13: 9781416542032)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Scribner

review 1: This is a pointed yet meandering conversation that reassures newbie teen wrangling parents using Jewish spiritual themes for the modern day. I think it is suited to parents of any (or even no) faith because it is accessible. Among the knowledge it imparts are practical approaches and checklists (and scripts) for parents to use to guide their not-yet-adult children into becoming responsible for their actions, words, and responses and lack there of. It offers workarounds to day-to-day crises of all kinds and shows a balanced way of parenting. It is chatty and non-theoretical, introducing profound concepts in a cute way. We are, it says, supposed to see in our child a lot of behavior as a sign of the push/pull in them. It's sort of yin-yang/Shiva as creator, Shiva as destroy... moreer in Jewish garb. In the Talmud, the yetzer hara is a view of the underbelly of our 'better/higher' nature, or the shadow side, as Jung put it. It is the darker and aggressive side of human nature. The yetzer (impulse) with the same root as the word yetzira, which means 'creation' hara (it can go wild in teens but it is essential to giving some zing and force to living a full life.) It can be tamed and cultivated so that it doesn't get out of control and create unchecked aggression and violence, but it should not be entirely suppressed. If it goes, so does its contribution toward making our lives passionate and energetic. I see a Disney or Dr. Seuss adaptation of this tale. This was a quick read. I marked it up and plan to re-read it in a year or two. We are only just beginning on this teenager tending and it might come in handy a bit down the road.
review 2: This should be considered mandatory reading material far all parents(myself included) who have ever wondered "What happened to my sweet/thoughtful/kindhearted child and who replaced them with this alien?" There are moments in all parents lives when Invasion of the bodysnatchers seems to become real.It is during these times when a book like "The Blessings of a B Minus" may well be your salvation.What I loved about it was the frank,no-nonsense,realistic suggestions that Wendy Mogel tempers with her wit and charm. You don't have to be an avid reader to come away with some real gems, it's concise enough not to be intimidating,yet detailed enough to make you think about the hard topics!Some people may be put off by the jewish refrences, the words and their meanings may be unfamiliar&or uncomfortable at times.I feel that it did add a flare of originality and perhaps lightened the moment when the topic was hitting too close to home. Topics like drugs,sex,work ethic,cleanliness ...need I go on ...can be difficult to discuss with our children. Please don't be fooled by blessed silence in your home, these conversations do need to take place and books like this one will help! less

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