Behind every great man there’s a great woman – and for comedian Chris Rock, that lady must have been his mom.
Rose Rock, mother to 10 (undoubtedly funny) children and 17 foster children – not to mention an experienced teacher and popular speaker – tells it like it is in her charming new book Mama Rock’s Rules: Ten Lessons for Raising a Houseful of Successful Children. Her straightforward and spunky take on responsible parenting is peppered with no-nonsense commandments (I Am Your Mama Not Your Friend; Feed Them and They Will Tell You Everything), touching family tales, practical wisdom (called Mama’s Mojo) and heartfelt memories. And yes, you will laugh.
Her secret to raising self-confident kids? Respect, courtesy, love and common sense, of course. Below, this supermom shares with UB some of her tips on bonding with even the youngest babe:
Include babies in everything. Whether he’s seated at the dinner table with the bigger kids or watching you clean the kitchen, bring your infant into the family dynamic. And keep talking – it doesn’t matter if you’re musing about the weather or reading from the newspaper. They may not know what you’re chatting about, but they respond to the fact that they’re engaged.
Do activities together. Turn off the TV, and have fun as a family – simple and inexpensive events are often the best. Try roller skating, reading a book, throwing a ball outside, playing a board game or packing a picnic lunch and heading to the park.
Nurture the whole child. You never know where your little one’s passions may lie – writing, painting, telling jokes or teaching. Whatever they start to do, give them praise and help build them up.
As Rose knows: Even if they’re not Hollywood-bound, every kid can be a superstar.
Available online at amazon.com.