Readers will find this book on parenting unique as it is not based on the philosophies or views of one or two authors, but on the research, experience and expertise of a number of thought leaders of our time. Contributors in this parenting book are experts in their respective fields including personal development, psychology, biology, genetics and child development among others. The authors share how they have used their expert knowledge to successfully raise their own children. While the chapters are based on the latest research, they are written in an easy to understand and practical way, and include numerous personal examples from the contributors about their approaches to, and the challenges they experienced, raising their own children.

Each of the authors has made a significant contribution to our current understanding of how we can improve our lives, our children’s lives and the planet. For example, Dr Bruce Lipton received the 2009 Goi Peace Award in recognition of his pioneering work in the field of new biology. His work is driven by his personal mission to spread the important message of his research findings - that each individual is a powerful creator of both their personal life and in the world. His books and seminars help individuals to understand the complexities of life and live the best life possible.

Other authors in this compilation have also made significant contributions through publishing research (eg The psychological, cognitive and physical effects of stress in pregnancy), participating in films (eg What the bleep do we know, Down the rabbit hole and the Secret), authoring books (eg Evolve your brain, Spontaneous evolution: Our positive future and The better baby series), and developing programs and presenting seminars (eg The inspired children program, The 7 R’s of good parenting and The science of changing your mind).

Many adults seek to understand and improve their lives through personal development programs and books. This is evident by the huge personal development market. It is possible, however, to start this journey as children if parents are given the right guidance. It is easy to imagine that the world would be a far better place if parents were able to help children understand that they are powerful creators of their personal life and have the potential to impact the world in a positive way.

Who can benefit from this parenting book?

The way to a different future is through our children. Imagine if our children had good self-esteem, were able to respect and communicate effectively with others, actively participated in life for the good of society and the environment. Parents, grandparents, carers, teachers and health professionals interested in this kind of future can benefit by reading this book to learn how to help children develop essential life skills. This book on parenting offers an evolved, tried and tested approach to raising children by the leading minds of our time. It has the potential to change how we raise children and change our future for the better.

About the author

Dr Rosina McAlpine is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, Australia. She is an internationally recognised teacher and researcher in higher education. She has taught at university for over 20 years and has received a number of teaching awards including a National teaching award in 2006, a Faculty teaching award in 2008 and a University teaching award in 2009 for outstanding teaching. Rosina has also excelled in her research as evidenced by her achievement of 5 international best paper awards. Rosina has completed studies in life coaching and neuro linguistic programming NLP and has been working as a family life coach for over 5 years.

Since becoming a mother in 2007, her research focus has expanded to include child development and parenting. Drawing on her many years of teaching experience and research into learning she has been able to develop practical and innovative approaches to parenting. She is the founding Director of Inspired Children and the creator of the Inspired Children Program which empowers busy parents with practical activities and advice about how to help their children develop key life skills and personal attributes in just 15 minutes at a time.

How this parenting book came about

Since my early 20s, I’ve been interested in personal development and, to this end, I have attended many seminars and read a large number of books on the topic. One such seminar, given by Dr Joe Dispenza on The Science of Changing Your Mind, was the inspiration for this book. Dispenza spoke about how he helped his children develop emotional intelligence and other key life skills. I was transfixed on his words and I realised that there are people out there like him who have the knowledge, expertise and most importantly the experience of raising children in a supportive environment so their children can live an inspired life. I knew I had to find these people!

At his next seminar, I spoke with him about my inspired children project and this book on child development and parenting. To my delight, he not only graciously agreed to contribute to the book, he suggested that I invite his good friend and co-presenter Dr Bruce Lipton to participate. Dispenza explained that a child’s development begins well before the child is conceived and that Bruce Lipton could tell me all about it. You can imagine my shock at hearing that a child’s development begins before it is conceived? How does that make sense? I guessed that I would find out soon enough and I certainly did! Once these first few chapters started to take shape it didn’t take long to find the remaining contributors for this extraordinary parenting book.

I can’t tell you how amazing each of these authors are and how generous they have been with their time. The knowledge I’ve gained has changed my life - I’ve learned so much and can’t wait to share it with you. Here is a taste of what’s in the book!

Overview of the chapters in this parenting book

Understanding a child’s development begins in the first chapter on Preconception. Bruce Lipton PhD shares his insights into how parents can influence their child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development even before the baby is conceived. I know this may sound implausible; however, you will see how it works once you’ve read his easy to follow explanations on the recent scientific discoveries in the field of epigenetics. It’s so exciting as Lipton explains how parents can give their child the best possible start in life as well as informing them of which lifestyle choices to avoid given research shows that they can harm a child’s development.

Dr Monique Robinson’s chapter is next and she explains the effects of stress during pregnancy on the unborn child. Her research shows that stress in pregnancy can lead to behavioural or emotional problems in babies which can extend, not only into childhood, but right up into adolescent years. Dr Monique Robinson reveals the link between the increasing levels of stress in society and the increasing numbers of children developing attention deficit and other such disorders. She talks about the research on the different types of stress pregnant mothers can experience and their effects on the baby. Imagine how helpful it would be for pregnant women to know the findings of this research. Being informed would mean a mother could choose to takes steps to reduce her stress levels for the duration of the pregnancy - knowing that this could make a life time of difference for her unborn child.

Once the little one arrives there is much to know about raising a healthy and happy baby. In chapter 3, Jan Roberts shows parents how to work with their inner wisdom and integrate this with the latest research and knowledge on raising babies. She explores many key areas including: parental instincts, sleeping, stress, breastfeeding and ways to support the cognitive and emotional development of your baby. Parents will gain insights into the benefits of prolonged breastfeeding, co-sleeping and appropriate stimulation for the physical, intellectual and emotional wellbeing of babies.

The fourth chapter, written by me, Dr Rosina McAlpine discusses how parents can prepare children for life by helping them to develop key life skills and personal qualities including: good self-esteem, resilience, emotional intelligence and a social conscience. Seven key life skill areas are explored namely: personal power (self-esteem and resilience); health and wellbeing; education, career and money; social and environmental understanding; communication skills and relationships; relaxation and play; as well as inspired creativity. The practical activities given in the chapter provide parents, grandparents, carers and teachers with the resources and the know-how to help children develop key life skills and personal qualities that will support them to lead successful and fulfilling lives.

Dr Joe Dispenza explains how to support the emotional development of children in the fifth chapter. Helping children understand and manage their emotions enables them to behave in ways that are supportive to them and to others around them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your child could manage their emotions and their behaviours in a positive way? Throughout the chapter Dr Joe Dispenza provides examples and activities he has practised with his children which have helped them to become resourceful and responsive young adults.

Chapter six discusses how to help children develop good self-esteem - a valuable personal quality in life. I can’t imagine any parent wanting their child to have poor self-esteem, yet this is true for many children of today. Michael Hall, PhD explains the fundamental differences between self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficacy and shows parents why it is important to understand the differences in order to support good self-esteem. He provides practical ways to nurture good self-esteem in children so they can interact with life in a confident and positive way.

We live in a fast-paced, stressful world. How well do you manage stress? In chapter seven, Maggie Dent explains that many adults can’t manage their stress because they didn’t learn how to deal with stress and distress as a child. Given we know that most (some say up to 97.5%) illnesses are stress-related, it is crucial that parents, carers and educators equip children with the tools to calm themselves and be able to manage stress. Drawing on her research and experience of raising four boys, Maggie Dent provides guidance and helpful suggestions on how to achieve this. She also touches on the topics parents never want to think about with their own children - drugs, alcohol and violence and how to engage children in safe activities like athletic and creative pursuits.

Realising dreams and achieving life goals makes for a successful and joyful life. In chapter eight, Sandy Forster shares her insights the process of making dreams a reality by role modelling and involving your children. Parents can discover how to help children focus on what it is they want to achieve and take the steps towards making it happen. Sandy Forster inspires the reader with her own amazing story of how she went from being on welfare to becoming a millionaire.

In an interview with Dr Joe Dispenza, I discovered how he helped his children to develop a positive relationship with life. Children who feel powerless and believe they don’t have the ability to influence their own lives, don’t make the efforts needed to live a successful and fulfilling lives! In chapter nine parents learn about a number of simple and fun activities the family can complete together to create opportunities for children to experience for themselves how they can influence the world. In this way, children feel empowered and motivated to take responsibility for leading an inspired life.

Busy parents trying to manage a career, run a household, parent and find time for themselves will find the final chapter helpful. Dr Yvonne Sum explains her 7R’s of Parenting Framework which helps parents bring order and structure to family life. Parenting processes include role modelling, having rules, engendering respect, developing routines as well as making time for reviewing, reflecting and reorganising when needed!

Every chapter is filled with helpful information, practical activities you can complete with your children as well as many personal and heart-warming accounts the contributors share about their parenting and their children. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to interview many of their children. I wanted to hear about their children’s experiences of being parented. You know, to me the proof is in the pudding and I wanted a taste of what was possible for children with inspired parents.

During our conversations I was moved to tears many times as they shared their childhood experiences. Here are some of the highlights:
· I never understood why my friends had to lie to their parents about what they were doing or where they were going. Mum and I always talked about everything.
· Everyday dad asked us the same question. “Are you happy? If not why not and what are you going to do about it.” I still ask myself that question and live my life that way today.
· Breastfeeding is so natural I can’t understand why some people have a problem with mothers feeding their babies in public.
· When we did activities with dad we always left the people and things in a better way than we found them. That made a big impression on me and I now have a career doing that.
· I didn’t feel the need to be popular or to do things because of peer pressure. I knew what was right from wrong - I knew it inside.
· Most of all I always felt loved and valued as a person in my own right.

They are truly Inspired Children and with this book for parents and their children, you can inspire and make such a difference in our own children’s lives. I don’t really know why as a society we have believed for so long that we don’t we need help with parenting and that we can parent without any research, knowledge and skills. As soon as I started to learn more I felt so empowered - I felt like I knew what I was doing and most importantly why I was doing it.
This book is a guide for parents who want to raise an inspired child. I hope you find reading this book as interesting and empowering as I did creating it.

My sincere and heart-felt best wishes on your parenting journey.

Dr Rosina

Inspired Children Parenting Book...

Inspired Children: how the leading minds of today raise their kids

Introduction and overview

By Dr Rosina McAlpine

Today’s parents and children

We have a problem right now! An increasing number of children are depressed, obese, lack basic life skills, abuse drugs and alcohol, have mental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), engage in destructive behaviours and tragically, even commit suicide. It is clear that the children of today need more guidance to help them lead a functional life at the minimum and preferably an inspired and successful life.

Parents want the best for their children, but the fast and demanding pace of life has left them time poor and stressed. They don’t have the time to research the latest findings in child development and then put it into practice in their homes. In order to achieve this parents need some practical guidance over and above what the standard parenting books offer.

Purpose of this parenting book

This parenting book provides a practical guide to raising children from pre-conception to teenage years. It includes areas of interest for parents-to-be, including how to prepare for conception in order to give a child the best start in life and ways to avoid stress during pregnancy and its negative effects on the unborn child. Parents, grandparents and teachers can learn how to support a child’s development in fundamental areas like good self-esteem, resilience and managing emotions and behaviour.

Practical activities and guidance is provided on how children can develop skills in setting and achieving goals, communicating, building and nurturing relationships with family and friends, managing stress, understanding health and nutrition as well as environmental awareness and social consciousness. These key life skills and personal qualities are the platform from which a child can create a happy, productive and fulfilling life. Parents are also introduced to a framework for managing their family life and making it all work.

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