Sunday 5 April 2009

Dr Kevin Leman Exposed...

Okay, it's not really exposing anything at all, I just started to put this in the comments and it was just a bit long so I figure why not make a post all of it's own...

Confused... read the previous post plus comments.


Leman's birth order book doesn't offer advice on how to bring up kids, it is actually geared more to adult relationships. His theories are used by big companies to help profile prospective employees and also for just helping people understand why this person or that person functions the way they do. The parenting book doesn't offer advice so much either, it is more making you aware of how those same "types" operate as children. I found it really well balanced in that it didn't say "this is what your kid will do" or "this is what you should do with your kid" like you get from so many parenting 'experts'. They say forewarned is forearmed, that is how I read it, a middle child (usurped youngest, sniff, sniff, sob, sob) about to have a first-born, and I was rightly scared witless! He does do other parenting and discipline books and also marriage books but I haven't read them so I can't comment on them.

The lack of parenting books at our house would horrify some of my book-learnin' friends but I figured why waste money on books making me feel bad when there are plenty of people out there willing to let me know where I'm going wrong for free. Like... "seriously, you've known my kids for 5 minutes and you are critiquing my parenting???" ah, how many times I wish I had the guts to say that one...
Anyway, this was just an aside, I'd love to know if you have read his book/s and if you think you fit his profile for your birth order. I know we are all falling into our little places here.

Re: Grannysaurus' comment... Grannysaurus, you read this blog, do I come across as an emotionally healthy adult? Oops. That was never the intention... sorry if I mislead anyone.

5 comments:

  1. I came here via Octamom! :) Cool blog...I think I read this book a long time ago...or at least parts of it! I thought it was interesting, I wasn't sure if EVERYTHING he was saying would fit for EVERYONE, but the general gist of it was very informative...looks like you have a couple of great boys!

    Blessings!
    Amy

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  2. After reading previous comments, I believe the book might be a little confronting for me. I know that I am anal-retentive, perfect...ionist, obsessive compulsive and on top of this, the female gene means I can hold a grudge forever & a day. Do I really need to see that in black & white...

    Oh wait, it has just been hammered home to me in all those comments on the previous post.

    Thanks guys.

    Lion darling, I know how you feel. My door is always open to you :-)

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  3. I'm confused - are you saying you never intended to be an emotionally healthy adult?
    You know the great thing about all the different foibles people develop as a result of their birth order or whatever is that life is never boring. Imagine a world where we are all "normal" to a boring degree. Yuck!
    On another tack, you and Chimera and Jingles had very distinct personalities even before you were born. You behaved and reacted very differently even while in the womb and consistent with the personalities you developed later. Does this mean you knew your birth order from conception?

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  4. I'm reading your blog backwards, so haven't read the earlier post yet, however I have heard an interview with Dr Leman & found it so interesting... when he was talking about the eldest child it was as if he was watching my life!!! LOL

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  5. I like Dr. Lehman, based on interviews I've heard with him. I haven't read his books or this book yet, but am actually interested in it. Right now I only have one kid, so it would be neat to learn all about the birth order theories, etc.

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