Raising school children is a radically different experience from tending the under-fives. Sarah's first two books concentrated on the experience of mothers with young children, toddlers, and babies, and what mothers could learn from Buddhism to help them through this often desperate, tumultuous time. Now, with children at school, life is both easier and harder and there are very different challenges on the horizon mothers are often thinking of going back to work, or juggling work/life balance issues. They are questioning what they want out of life, how they want to interact with the world, and creating new definitions for themselves. Children are more demanding too, asking questions, testing boundaries, and beginning to define themselves as separate from their parents. Sarah Napthali explores the distinct issues arising from this phase of motherhood and how Buddhism can play a role in providing answers and direction, in her usual warm, wise, inclusive, and accessible style.
Buddhism for Mothers of Schoolchildren: Finding Calm in the Chaos of the School Years, Sarah Napthali, Allen & Unwin, Paperback, 257 pages, 2009, $15.95.
Sarah Napthali is a mother of two who tries to apply Buddhist teachings in her daily life. Her working life has ranged from teaching English as a Second Language and corporate training, to human rights activism and interpreting. She is the author of Buddhism for Mothers and Buddhism for Mothers with Young Children.
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