Keepers of the Children
Laura M. Ramirez
(Guest Reviewer - Bob Collier)
2004 Walk in Peace Productions
ISBN: 0974866105

Native American Wisdom & Parenting. As a parent, what is your greatest hope? Think about it for a moment ... If you imagined the best possible outcome for you & your child, what would you foresee? If you could raise your child to lead a life of joy & meaning, would you feel fulfilled?

In Keepers of the Children, Laura Ramirez uses little known Native American concepts & teaching stories to show parents how to raise children to know their nature & use their strengths to create lives of meaning & contribution. By raising children to unfold the gifts within their hearts, parents touch their own essence. In this way, parenting is a process of becoming for child & parent.

In Keepers of the Children you will learn:
 • How to encourage your child's uniqueness & set him upon the path of purpose from the start.
 • How to teach your child to act from integrity & strength.
 • The true meaning of discipline: How to teach your child to make life-affirming choices on her own.
 • How a knowledge of nature teaches your child the basics of psychology so she will avoid the traps of peer pressure & those who intend to do her harm.
 • All about child development   “your” development as a parent.
 • Why parenting is a path of personal growth for child & parent.
 • How to create a lifelong, mutually fulfilling relationship with your child.

Guest Reviewer Bob Collier writes:

In her book Keepers of the Children, Laura Ramirez has combined her expertise in child development with her understanding of Native American perceptions & the customs & rituals that have grown from them to produce an analysis of the art & science of successful parenting that's both comprehensive & highly original.

This is much more than a “training manual” for the aspiring parent. It's a deeply spiritual book that explores important issues of human nature & development that transcends both Native American & “Western” cultures. It will appeal to parents of all races & creeds who desire to expand their abilities beyond the mere mechanics of “child management” to the attainment of true parenting success.

Laura Ramirez writes knowledgeably & with passion about the necessity of having a clear vision for our children, & of understanding the sacred nature of our part in their lives; of the importance of honoring our children as unique individuals, & of constantly promoting their wellbeing & development, even as we work on ourselves to become the best role models for them that we can be.

Keepers of the Children, once read, can be referred to again & again for good ideas, for comfort & support, for hope & inspiration. Virtually every page is a reminder of something we can do as parents to make the world a better place for our children, & for ourselves & others.

A work of meaning with its heart very much in the right place, Keepers of the Children is a very welcome addition to my personal library of parenting books & I'm sure it would be to yours, too.

Buy yourself a copy & join Laura Ramirez in her mission: to raise a generation of children who use their strengths to create a sense of belonging, meaning & contribution. “Such children will grow up to be adults who are lights unto our world.”

Laura Ramirez is the mother of two boys & the wife of a Pascua Yaqui Native American man (who was recently inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame for his career in baseball.) She has been writing articles for Family Matters Online Parenting Magazine on the tough issues today's parents face from raising biracial children to understanding child development to dealing with school violence.
(01/16/05)

Guest Reviewer - Bob Collier
2005©Bob Collier