About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

By Debra J. Snyder; 200 pages. Subtitle: Listening to the Wisdom of Your Heart.

"Intuitive parenting" refers to a holistic method of "tapping into subtle energy systems to communicate through the heart," with the help of guided visualizations and entries in your HeartGlow journal. Even the author admits that "these concepts may seem to ethereal or 'out there' for you," but if you're struggling to find a way to connect with your child and make sense of your experience, any possibility may be worth considering.

About the About.com Rating



Pros

• It's an original approach to dealing with the challenges parents of children with special needs face
• Exercises and journal work help readers try out the author's suggestions
• Includes moving memoir of Snyder's early experiences with her daughter
• Writing is clear and easy to understand
• It's encouraging to think that we can connect even with children who seem unable to communicate

Cons

• If you're not into metaphysics and holistic healing, you may have trouble connecting with the book
• Those who try the exercises and don't get the desired results may feel inadequate
• Some readers may wish there was more memoir and less metaphysics

Description

• Part I: Setting the Tone: It's All Energy
  1. Exceptional Teachers: Our Children as Our Guides
  
• 2. The Essence of HeartGlow
  3. The Field of Intuitive Harmony
• Part II: Raising the Vibration: HeartGlow Techniques
• 4. The Resonance of Sound
• 5. The Resonance of Touch
• 6. The Resonance of Love
• Part III: Singing the Song: Energy in Everyday Life

• 7. The Sensory Exploration Approach
• 8. Self-Healing for Parents
• 9. Living With an Intuitive Heart
  Notes
  Glossary
  Suggested Reading

Guide Review - Book Review: Intuitive Parenting

Parents of children with significant disabilities find all different ways of dealing with the unexpected and sometimes tragic situations they find themselves in. Some give in to anger and a darkened world view. Some find comfort in religion. Some seek out support groups and network with other parents; some become advocates for children like theirs; some devote every waking moment to their child's care. But one way or another, most of us find something that works for us. Arguments regularly crop up among parents about which way is right, and it can be hard to see someone find fault with the path you've found for yourself. In most cases, though, whatever works for you and your family is the right way to go.

So I'm reluctant to knock Intuitive Parenting, even though it wanders far from the path I've taken and departs significantly from my own experience. Debra J. Snyder's experience with her complex child led her into holistic healing and intuitive communication, and here she advises readers to keep HeartGlow journals and connect, through guided visualization and openness, with their children's inner wisdom and energy. Her advice for parents is interspersed with stories from her daughter Raegan's earliest days; on several occasions, Snyder's ability to communicate with her daughter through mystical means saved the child's life and gave her mother purpose.

If that sounds like a bunch of New Age-y mumbo-jumbo to you, well, you're not alone, and this approach is clearly not one you'll find useful. But you know what? For parents who are still struggling to find their way and locate some meaning in their experience, this book definitely has something to offer. It doesn't hurt to consider different approaches, especially if conventional wisdom has left you floundering. Snyder's own story is engaging and inspiring, and some of the exercises are less out-there than others. You'll have to follow your own intuition to know if this is a book that could be meaningful for you.

Discuss this book.



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.