Organised Chaos: The Planning With Kids Book

I haven’t read a book quite like it. As I read it, I felt like I was interacting with an entire community. Just like a blog. That’s it! The Planning With Kids Book is just like a blog in a book. It comes alive as you read it which is an amazing and unique combination! Let me tell you about it.

About Nicole Avery

Firstly, I want to tell you about the author, Nicole Avery. I call her Nic. She’s warm, friendly, down to earth and approachable. Here we are at the recent Melbourne Bloggers Brunch and Sydney Aussie Bloggers Conference (pictured below). We’ve only met a few times in person, but I feel I know Nic because I read her blog. She’s married to a supportive man and they have five unique and amazing children. The book is personal, so you feel like Nicole is there chatting with you over a cup of tea, and there’s plenty of helpful advice, presented in a easy to digest way. Read more about Nicole here: About Nicole Avery.

About the Book

Planning With Kids (the book) is all about organising a family so there’s time for family fun.  It’s based on Nicole’s blog of the same name. There is vast amounts of useful information about planning in the book, but for me, it was more than that. There’s a holistic approach to the book that’s not limited to organisation strategies. I’ll venture to say the book gives a comprehensive guide to family life. It’s not so much about parenting as it is about the beauty that is family.  That is what struck me.I finished the book with renewed excitement about making plans for my own family. I can’t remember last time a book did that for me.

I found myself constantly nodding as I read because it makes so much sense.  Here are some lines that jumped out at me:

“Keep it simple, start small and focus on the basics.”

“Spending all my time focusing on the ‘now’ made me feel as though I was always in catch-up mode.”

“We still do have moments of mess, fighting and tears, but planning has made managing these moments easier and less frequent.”

“It’s with gradual steps that we make changes to our daily life so we can spend more time being with the kids, rather than doing for the kids.”

“Plan time for yourself, your kids, your partner and most importantly plan time for fun!”

The book covers a whole range of topics including age related stages, holidays, birthday parties, meal planning, spending time with your spouse, routines, and much more.

Community

Remember I said reading the book is like participating in a community?  Well, the book is filled with excerpts from readers of the Planning With Kids Blog. I feel privileged to be in it (on page 110). It’s a book where regular Mums and Dads share their experiences, so as I read it, I felt I was in a room full of warm people chatting out their family. I was encouraged, not only by Nic, and the way she openly shared about her parenting experiences, but by the many others who shared in the book.

Last Word

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Planning With Kids Book. It’s easy to read, a section at a time, and also engaging so you can sit for long periods and take it all in. Yes, it’s a book about planning, but it’s also a book that inspires the reader to invest in the gift of family life. And that, is very beautiful.

Particulars

The book was published by Wright Books

Find out where to buy the book here:  Buy the Book

Giveaway

***Giveaway ended. Winner has been notified by email. Congratulations!***

I’m so happy to be able to give a book away to a Be A Fun Mum reader. I know you’ll love it! All you need to do is leave a comment below.

1. Open to Australian Residents only

2. Competition open 10 June to 17 June 2011

3. I will decide the winner using random.org

4. The winner will be notified via email.

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