Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

As a psychologist looking for healthy constructive relationships to be represented in my child's books, I too find this book to be disturbing in the way that it normalizes unhealthy behavior and attitudes. Why must the mother deplore all the son's changing behaviors as he grows? Why can't she continue to actively love him through his inevitable changes? Why must she only express her love at night when the son cannot receive it? Healthy expression of emotion involves loving people through the behaviors we don't care for. In this story, she withholds her love and acceptance as he grows, then can only express it under the cover of darkness, fantasizing that he is still a baby. In addition, to normalize the invasiveness of this mother's use of a ladder to enter her grown son's bedroom (hello??) and physically cradle him (HELLO??) is truly disturbing. It represents a host of boundary violations, and would be called stalking were they not related. This mother is looking to get her emotional needs met in very inappropriate ways. Ask yourself this: if this were the mother of your husband, or the father of your wife, and this were happening in your home at night, how would you feel about this behavior? A parent's role is to build and nurture close, healthy ties with their children, but always see them for who they are right now (a large portion of family therapy cases arise out of parents' inability to do this). Although we will always be mothers and fathers, our role as parent is meant to wane as children grow. Failure to understand that is failure to see one's child for who they've grown into, and instead to hold them as "always my baby." Yes, we will not leave; yes, we will love you forever; yes, you may misbehave, and though we may not like the behavior we will continue to love you--these are healthy messages. The message of this book is that mom may not like who you become and what you do, but she'll invade your house and express her love inappropriately. **It is important, indeed essential, that we be conscious of the words, messages, and attitudes that we convey to our children.** The attitudes and behaviors in this book are unhealthy, and show inappropriate withholding and displaying of emotion. The author should be in therapy, not writing children's books.