Here we go!   Welcome friends.

 

            In Massachusetts, an aspiring hair-stylist needs to cut and shape hair for 2000 hours before being granted a license. How many hours of parenting does an aspiring parent need before taking home his or her first child? We all know the answer. I write child & youth care books and have worked with kids for over 30 years, yet a day doesn’t go by when I don’t actively question my parenting skills.  Parents can always use a little more help and guidance. I’m hoping Parent Rapsody fills some of the void. Although, I was thrilled when some top experts in the field enthusiastically endorsed the CD, my favorite words of praise came from an old Iowa Buckeye, James Parcell (Jim’s not that old – we’ve just been friends forever):  “When mom and dad are at wits end, listening to Parent Rapsody will be like talking to a best friend.”

 

I think most parents have good enough abilities to raise their kids. Sometimes, they just need a few more “friends” by their side. I’m hoping Parent Rapsody, this site, and this blog can provide some meaningful support to folks doing their best to raise kids in a hard but fabulous world.

 

In Parent Rapsody, I took many of the key principles and techniques for effective, strength-based, child-rearing and compressed them into 16 songs. I secured some of the top singers and musicians on the east coast, and broke the bank to produce a CD that can flow into and stay in the hearts and minds of anyone who listens. In future blogs, I’ll be writing about the various parenting principles that each song represents, news related to the CD (such as the research we’re doing on it), the power of music and repetition, how we’re trying to get it out there – and we certainly could use your help (I’ve conducted a few national radio interviews in the past few weeks), and much more. I’d love your feedback. Again, I’m not technically savvy, but I believe all you have to do is hit the comment tab on the bottom to respond to these blogs. If I’m wrong, I’ll have my webperson write some simple instructions.

 

We’re all in this together. What could me more important than raising happy and secure kids?

 

Charlie

 

Listen to the samples…

 

Order the CD… 

Songs and Musical Mantras

for Successful Parenting

 

Words & Melodies by Charlie Appelstein, MSW

 

This novel approach to parent education combines rhythm, rhyme,

wordplay, and engaging melodies to promote core child-rearing practices. A

handy companion for all seasons of family life.

 

 

More than 25 singers and musicians were used to create Parent Rapsody, including: gospel singers from Boston’s Berklee School of Music; the choir from Temple Shalom in Newton, MA; an award winning trumpet player from Boston College; an internationally renowned vocalist from Virginia, and various members of the popular band, The Adam Ezra Group.

 

 

This approach to parent education is based on the science of neurology:

 

“The brain is designed to change in response to patterned, repetitive stimulation.”

 

By using engaging melodies and mantras (raps), we hope to make the important  

principles and techniques presented in this CD more accessible to parents.