What a coincidence! I guess it’s true what they say about great minds thinking alike because I like both those books as well!

Yes, and I do think that Alfie Kohn’s book, Unconditional Parenting, should be seen as a guide, not as a be-all, end-all book of parenting action. The beauty of the book, to me, is that it introduced so many questions in my mind, and then once I put the book down, I was still thinking about them (I still do). It doesn’t really answer anything definitively (not for me anyway), but it certainly gave me a LOT to chew on. I was really glad for that, and I believe it’s made me a more conscientious person (though obviously not a perfect one, not by any stretch), as well as a more deliberate (though obviously still imperfect) parent.

Thanks! As for persuading your husband… Well, you know your husband best. I’m sure you both have changed and grown together during the time you’ve been with each other, however long or short that has been… So if you’ve managed to sway his influence in other areas of your lives, you will probably succeed with the UP philosophy — or something similar enough to it — as well. Best of luck to you. I hope you like the book.

I giggled at the comment you made about your cat. Tee-hee. And yes, the respect thing goes far beyond children and other humans. It really is amazing how much understanding can spill over from reading one little book, toward all forms of life. Thanks so much for your comment.