Parenting Lessons from Literature

literaturelessonsAs I’ve stated here and here, I kind of love good books. Even when I’m just reading to relax and have fun, good books can sneak in life lessons that will stay with me for years. Nowhere is this more true than in great children’s literature. Here are some of my favorite parenting lessons from kids’ books:

From Harry Potter: Sacrificial Love Leaves a Mark
Where are my Potterheads? If you’re a mom who loves HP, you know exactly what I’m talking about and you probably just teared up a little. If not, I’ll try to explain without spoilers (because you totally need to read the books). When Harry’s mom sacrificed herself for him, she left him lasting protection that helped him escape He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named countless times. JK Rowling showed us that the powerful, selfless love of a mother is magical in the truest sense of the word. “To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.” (Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

From Little Women: Sharing our Struggles is Powerful
I loved Little Women in my younger years, but I read it with new eyes as a mom. Marmee’s love for her girls is compassionate and uncompromising. My favorite scene is when Jo talks to Marmee about her dreadful temper and her fears that she’ll never control it. Instead of lecturing, Marmee admits that she shares Jo’s struggle and must work to control her own temper every day of her life. “The patience and the humility of the face she loved so well was a better lesson to Jo than the wisest lecture, the sharpest reproof.” (Jo Meets Apollyon, Little Women)

They Won’t Be Small Forever: Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web is a beautiful story of friendship. It’s also the story of a little girl growing up. When Fern begins spending her days hanging out with animals and talking to them, her mom kind of freaks out. Since she can’t Google “is there something terribly wrong with my kid”, she goes to the family doctor. I love everything about his response. First, he points out that, sometimes, children notice and enjoy things we adults miss. And when Fern’s mom asks if Fern will ever grow out of this, his answer is one we all need to hear. “I doubt she spends her entire life in Homer Zuckerman’s barn cellar…It’s amazing how children change from year to year.” (Dr. Dorian, Charlotte’s Web)

Being a Kid is Hard: The Ramona Quimby books
Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books are laugh-out-loud funny, but they also give amazing insight into the mind of a child. Ramona feels things so intensely, is constantly baffled by grown-ups and their reactions to things, and (most of the time) is really trying NOT to be a pest. But it’s really hard! As grown-ups with bills to pay and meals to cook, we often forget the struggles of childhood. Ramona reminds us. “Ramona could not understand why grown-ups always talked about how quickly children grew up. Ramona thought growing up was the slowest thing there was, slower even than waiting for Christmas to come. She had been waiting years just to get to kindergarten, and the last half hour was the slowest part of all.” (Ramona, the Pest)

What are some of your favorite literary parenting lessons?

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Paula
Paula Nix is a native of Georgia and Cherokee County. She currently lives in Woodstock with her husband of 18 years, Spencer, and their three children, Piper, Haddyn, and Judson. A former special education teacher, she now homeschools her kids and teaches a writing class for other homeschool families once a week. In her free time, she enjoys reading, leading book clubs (including Books & Brews at Reformation Brewery in Woodstock), and exploring the outdoors with her family. She also enjoys searching out great food and drink in the Metro area with her husband!

2 COMMENTS

  1. Harry Potter. Sigh. I love the comparisons to “real life” that these books give us.

    Recently I was talking to someone who said that their kids named a cat “Christmas” – and I asked “Why, Christmas?” And he said “because Christmas never comes.” (They live in a rural area with animals in the forest near their house and this cat will not come near them) But, seriously, how amazing is the reasoning behind that name?? Reminds me of Ramona.

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