Overview

The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius compared children to tender sprouts, shaped by soil, sunlight, water, and, importantly, the efforts of patient farmers and gardeners. At times, children require our protection, other times we must take a step back and allow them to grow. Like sprouts, a child's character, tendencies, virtues, and vices are at once observable and ever-changing. A practical parenting manual, philosophical reflection on the relationship between parent and child, and necessary response to modern stereotypes of Eastern parenting, Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting reconsiders cultural definitions of success and explores how we might support and nourish young people. Engaging deeply with foundational Daoist and Confucian thinkers, Georgetown philosopher Erin Cline offers accessible, provocative musings on key-parenting issues. She reveals how ancient Chinese philosophers encourage surprisingly modern values--a love of nature and of learning, mindfulness in everyday interactions, an embrace of disabilities and diversity, and the power of performing rituals with reflection--and relates these to concrete parenting practices, whether celebrating special occasions or finding a child's unique talents and gifts.

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9781690591818

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Erin Cline is a professor of comparative ethics at Georgetown University, a senior research fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and a mother of three. The author of four books that explore Chinese philosophy and theology, she lives with her family in Washington, DC. Christine Kiphart is a classically trained singer with a lifetime of experience in storytelling and performance. As a teacher of literature and writing, she enjoys bringing the world of story to children and adolescents and loves exploring the art of narration. She resides with her poet-clown husband and her two terriers in Los Angeles.

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