THE POWER OF IMPERFECT PARENTS

Drake offers a guide to caring for disabled children.

As the author notes throughout her book on childrearing, she and her husband saw themselves as living the American Dream before their children were born: They had great jobs and uncomplicated lives (“[w]e didn’t need help from anyone, we were perfect”). When their three children came along and presented them with a series of challenges (from psychological issues to food allergies to Down syndrome), they redefined their concept of reality and learned new dimensions of humility and grace. The text considers a variety of caregiving aspects, ranging from talking to kids about money and sex to dealing with severe psychological and behavioral problems. Each chapter has an inset “LIFE BITES” section of bullet-pointed motivational reminders like “Keep love as your guide” or “Don’t parent from a place of pity.” Drake stresses throughout that every aspect of her subject is ideally a group endeavor involving family, extended family, and friends. Although the book retains a few distracting typos (such as “Stewart Little” for “Stuart Little”), the underlying lessons are invigoratingly empathetic and, despite the title, generally applicable. Caregivers of children with disabilities or special needs will find much useful advice in these pages, but all readers will benefit from Drake’s message of love and understanding, and from her encouragements to accept disappointments and recognize even small triumphs. “I have learned that there is no benefit to living our lives in fear and worry,” she writes. “They are truly wasted emotions if we hold onto them.” When she declares “We can’t control everything, but we can continue to improve how we show up as parents,” many readers facing the challenges of raising children will breathe a sigh of relief.

A readable and compassionate overview of caring for children of all ages.