Book Review: First Came Happiness, Then Comes Lollipops! Jacqueline Pirtle’s New Book Offers Up, Parenting Skills Using A Tasty Treat!

Featured Picture: Jacqueline Pirtle/Roshonda – B Creative

Disclosure: This book was gifted to me by Jacqueline’s publishing company in exchange for my honest review. All views concerning this book are 100% my own and not of anyone else’s.

I must say when I read the title of Jacqueline Pirtle’s new book ‘Parenting Through the Eyes of Lollipops’ I was a little taken back as I had no clue what the analogy behind the title truly meant. I mean, who doesn’t love lollipops! I definitely do….but as Jackie stated in her book, “She’s a little sneaky and she knows it!”

AND INDEED SHE IS…

Just as in her bestselling book “365 Days of Happiness,” Jacqueline is ALL about us feeling, sensing, smelling and tasting the things around us, whether they be objects such as a lollipop or breathing in the glorious air. Everything has an energy attached to it; we just have to open our arms, minds, and hearts to be aware of it.

This is how Jacqueline wants you to be when thinking about that lollipop and the meaning behind, I’m calling it first “her next bestseller”

“Lollipops have this incredible power to shift us to BE and live in a frequency of magic – because that is the energy they carry and the frequency they vibrate in.” Jacqueline Pirtle, Author – Parenting Through the Eyes of Lollipops

Do you have a bag of lollipops? Because these little, yet powerful rounds of candy on a stick is what Jacqueline recommends you take with you into a “family disagreement” or a tug of war battle between the kids. Give everyone a sucker, allow them to lick on it a couple of rounds and then – not at one time, talk it out. I would have NEVER in a million years thought to take a lollipop into a disagreement with my hormonal daughter or overzealous son, but it’s something I’m definitely going to try the next go-round!

So, the cats out the bag. Now that you know a little about that sneaky title, grab your lollipops and let’s dig into this parenting thing, if you’re like me, I’m sure you can use a self-help guide to give you some pointers about parenting (ESPECIALLY TEENAGERS!), yesssss…that’s my life right now.

Image: Bing

Even if you don’t have teenagers and you have little ones who are a year old, just starting school or even if they’re adults. Jacqueline has a chapter for it – even if you don’t have a child yet. The practices she teaches are from her own experience of being a Professor of Pirtle University (a university where she gained knowledge and lollipops from teaching her own kids).

I found Jacqueline’s book quite interesting as it’s not a book filled with “me” time locations and ideas for parents, whom are at their wits ends with their kids. However, it’s a book about parents actually listening and feeling the energy of their own child and giving them a space to be anxious and creative, while giving them a voice to be heard. This, in turn, takes the anxiety off of the parent and allows the children to just “BE” themselves.

“Let your children know, whether born or unborn that they too are wonderful and magnificent just as they are. Let them know that they are here in this life to “BE” themselves – nothing else.” Jacqueline Pirtle, Author – Parenting Through the Eyes of Lollipops

For instance and what I found to be greatly profound is when Jacqueline stated “That does not Matter!” what she meant by that? She meant; put an expiration date on what did or didn’t, should or shouldn’t have happened in your own childhood and focus on making “new and profound” memories with your children.

It’s so easy to think about our not so good childhood, I mean come’ on none of us if we’re truthful about it, had a perfect childhood – that just doesn’t exist. What Jacqueline is saying is to basically forget about it, you were given a second chance to make and do things right with your children and THAT should be the main focus, not what didn’t go right but what we as parents can do to make things better.

As she said it best —

Let is all go like old dirt blows off a car when driven forward with speed. Leave a BIG BLACK TIRE MARK that says ENOUGHHHH!!! Let it ALLLLL GOOOOOOOO!!!

Me Letting the Past Goooo…..Leaving Tire Marks!

Parenting through the eyes of Lollipops also encourages “chatting” – not the silent chat or chatter you have with your child about random things, but a chat ALOUD about EVERYTHING and making this a common practice in your and your child’s everyday life. So, if they want to talk to the air, the sun, the moon, the sky the plants or even the sidewalk – Just let them “BE!” By allowing your children the freedom to speak verbally to everything, it not only builds communication skills in my book but according to Jackie who’s also an energy healer – these things are energy, an energy that carries information and knowledge. Cool right?

Another thing that’s encouraged is the inability to quit saying “No” – I mean don’t get me wrong, “No” is good in its respective place but when your child asks can they do something, think about what they’re asking – if it’s not invoking harm, then say YES!

I have to admit, when my children were younger I said NO to everything – “Mom, can we go outside to play?” No! “Mom, can such and such come over?” No!!! “Mom, can we play water gun fight in the house? OH NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! And all of that was for good reason because I either didn’t want to go outside, felt like my house wasn’t good enough for their school friend to come over OR I definitely didn’t feel like cleaning or slipping on water….Hello!!! So, their asking was always a HUGE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Image Credit: Bing

However, Parenting through the eyes of Lollipops showed me that I was actually closing off my children’s creativity mode. Per Jacqueline’s book, she states that when children have ideas even when they are eyebrow lifting….find a solution to make the idea safe and make it work so the kids can still experience the importance of their idea. Our No’s are garnered by us either not wanting to do it or as Jacqueline stated, it comes from our own old beliefs and recordings of maybe when we were told no a lot as a child.

Jacqueline’s book offers 3 Pillars to Good Parenting and that’s:

  • The Harmonious Dance
  • It Is Never The Child
  • The Love Cycle of Parenthood

In each pillar Jacqueline discusses the importance of the parent becoming the student and the child becomes the teacher. There’s a lot we can learn from our children, they can teach us so many things only if we allow them to “BE” themselves and listen to them. In some respect, it’s not about having the power over them but allowing us to let go (when necessary) and allow them to be the soul beings they were created to be.

Jacqueline’s book “Parenting Through the Eyes of Lollipops” is another sweet, satisfying and soulful read by the author who challenges us all to think, feel, taste and smell the world around us. Whether you’re thinking about having kids or already raising some of your own, Jacqueline’s imagery of it all is well worth the read. Challenge yourself today to FEEL, TOUCH, SMELL, BREATHE & TASTE everything around you – including a Lollipop, in which as we’ve discovered is more than just a round sticky ball on top of a stick, it’s an energy piece that’s waiting to be explored, especially with your children…

I didn’t even touch all the greatness this book has to offer especially the chapters “Tweenhood & Teen hood” I couldn’t wait to get to this chapter…lol, “Feeling Good as My Highest Priority” & “Food Stories” but hey, that’s for good reason, I want you to grab a copy for yourself!! and oh by the way? Make sure you pick up a bag of lollipops as you read it! Jacqueline’s orders =)

Andd, this is not a wrap for this post – I’ll have an announcement soon, so be on the lookout!

Jacqueline Pirtle’s latest book ‘Parenting Through the Eyes of Lollipops’ was released in September 2019 and is available right now for sale on Amazon! Readers can connect with Jacqueline on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to http://www.freakyhealer.com

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Parents, Let’s Not Be Weary – Shall We?

photo above courtesy of bing

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”

This is the all so famous bible quote located in Galatians 6:9, this is also the scripture God brought to my mind one day when I deliberately told myself “I GIVE UP!!!” literally wanting to throw in the towel on parenting one day as I became frustrated with repeating the “same” thing over and over and over and over and over again, to my two children. I heard God speak so calmly in my spirit “Don’t be weary in well doing”

In a Hurry? You can listen to this post here

Like, Really God – You’re Punking Me Right?? How many times do I have to ask them to clean their rooms and wash the dishes and take out the trash and wash their clothes and to keep their mouths closed at school when they want to abruptly speak out of turn – because if I get one more note from the teacher, I’m going to SCREAM!

But on the later end of “Don’t be weary, is ——– you will reap, if you faint not! Well, something tells me I better reap something because this sista is on her last fuse…

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As a parent you’ll have a rainbow face by the time your child reaches 18.

You’ll Have WHITE moments, RED moments,  BLUE moments, YELLOW moments and GREEN moments. You’ll also have ORANGE moments in which you’re confused and trying to figure out if you’re doing the right thing or not, you’ll question yourself many, many, many times. You’ll make mistakes, you’ll say things you don’t mean. You’ll become too overprotective and you’ll learn to let go when you need too. Letting Go, doesn’t mean you’re giving up on them, it just means you’re giving them room to grow, room to plant their own seeds based on the decisions “they chose” to make.

About a month or so ago, my teenage daughter made a decision that totally blew me away. After all the talking and grinding and trying to push her in the right direction from silly mishaps, I get a call from the principal stating “Ms. Blackmon, I need to talk to you – your daughter is suspended off the bus for three days because she was caught kissing a boy.” I was totally confused….are you talking about my daughter?, surely he dialed the wrong number..

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But NOPE! he really did mean to call me and YES, he was talking about my daughter – I have to say, I heard him talking but soon his voice became a murmur; sort of like those Charlie Brown episodes, because all I could see was black. When I got off the phone with him; I was sooooo hurt, I had to take a time-out and get myself together – being called on your job for something like that doesn’t make for a good rest of the day. As I left my desk, with tears flowing down my face – the only thing I could see was me wringing her neck, slapping her and locking her up to never come out of her room again….I MEAN NEVER! As my mind went back and forward about the fussing and cussing and beating I wanted to do to her (mind you, I do not curse – but I can’t say words weren’t’ coming to my mind during that time) I realized that I needed to talk to someone and not just anyone – I had to talk to her creator – God.

Luckily, I didn’t have to stay at work all day that day as I had a doctors appt. previously scheduled; so I was leaving early anyway…Thank God for small favors…

When I left my appointment, It was still early….the only thing I could think of was calling everyone and let them know what she had done, but before I could pick up the phone and make one call, I heard God’s voice say “Before you talk to anyone, Talk to me first.” So, wanting to be obedient, I went to Taco Bell – ordered something small to eat and sat down “Okay, God; I said…what do I do, how do I handle this. While I proceeded to eat my food and once I finished, God began to download things within me of how I should punish her and what she needed to do during the punishment; even the things that I needed to talk to her about.

After all, what I had to realize was that my daughter – while I birthed her; was not really “my” daughter, she’s God’s child whom is on loan to me. God entrusted me with her and therefore when it comes to the challenges of dealing with such circumstances, he’s the first person we should go to and seek in regards to their life – because, father knows best.

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Tip 1: As parents, its our job to make sure we tell our children the truth with transparency; hey, if you got caught kissing a boy or making out with a girl in school, tell them that as well as what you learned from it and how the affects of such can lead to other unwanted things and/or actions. At the end of the day, when it comes to our children, it’s what we DID say as opposed to what we DIDN’T.

Tip 2: No matter how “good” our intentions are for our kids – giving them God’s word regarding certain issues such as sex, lying, bad behavior and so forth in their life is all we can do. While we don’t want them to suffer, experience or go down the same road we did – we have to realize that they’re going to do life the way they want, sometimes it’s not going to work until they experience it for themselves.

It’s just like if you keep telling a baby to not touch the stove because it’s hot, you can make all types of noises to distract that baby from going near that stove, but it’s something about curiosity that gets people in trouble. Soon, one day while you’re not around; that baby crawls over to the stove and touches it anyway….they cry in pain because you were right, the stove really was hot. Now, they know for themselves not to touch that object anymore because they have experienced the effects behind it, that’s why the word says “Warning before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18) 

So, to sum up the tips – We have to make sure we’re warning our children about everything – punish when needed, squeeze those hands tight in prayer and hope for the best.

The main thing is letting our children know that every bad decision, leads to a consequence. The bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he’s old, they won’t depart from it.” Prov 22:6.  Not to say they won’t stray, but the seeds you planted in them will begin to sprout at the right time when they need it the most. Parenting is no easy feat. but if we know whom to give them over too, we shouldn’t be weary because not only will we get valuable instructions, but if we stay the course – no matter how hard or trivial – the water of your words will water those seeds and produce a great harvest that’ll pay off greatly one day – my fingers and toes are crossed, but my hands are definitely closed tightly in prayer for that PAYOFF!

Cheers and Best Wishes to all parents whom are desperately waiting for that day as well! DON’T BE WEARY – YOU GOT THIS!!

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You Get My Drift!!! #PayDay!

 

Do you have teens or any parenting tips that has helped you? Leave them in the comment section below, you never know whom you may be helping. 

 

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

 

 

Sunday’s Thought: Will You Please Listen To Me??

Image above is courtesy of blog site by: Moïcani – L’Odéonie

Early last week, I became annoyingly frustrated at my 13yr old daughter. Ever since she’s crossed over into “TEEN-VILLE” I’ve noticed her attitude has changed tremendously, every time I tell her what she’s going to do, the first thing that comes out of her mouth is “I Can’t Do That” or “Why??” or “That’s not for Me” or “Mama, but I” I mean don’t get me wrong, I understand when the crossover happens, everything goes haywire in their minds. Their bodies are changing, their attitudes are unbearable and their mindsets are totally different.

What happened to that 5Ib little cute baby I brought home from the hospital, the one that would stay seated when I said too and when I talked, she listened. The girl that once used to smile brightly and be grateful for everything she got, has now become the teenager whom gives me such looks as this one….

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As mama used to say, “When children are young, they’re on your lap but when they get older, they’re on your heart.” and she couldn’t have been more right. So, while I gather my heart strings together, let’s move on shall we to what I really want to convey. Every parent glories in the fact when their child comes to them and asks for advice, at that particular time, that’s our moment to shine. It’s our moment to give our kids the good, solid knowledge and wisdom that we obtained over the years. However; once we give that information to them, it hurts when they don’t take the advice and decide to do it the way they had planned in their head all along.

This was the dilemma I faced with my daughter. She came telling me about the lockers at school and how they were hard to get into. The teacher showed them how to unlock them, but they only showed them one time. My daughter went on to explain how she has been having the hardest time getting into her locker, last year was easy because they had to bring their own locks but now the 8th grade halls are filled with lockers that already have pre-set locks on them. So, she was complaining about how she didn’t have anyone to help her with her combination. “Mom to the Rescue” I said – Why not ask your friends? “They’re all busy and I don’t want to bother them” (puzzled) but they’re your friends…., okay, well what about asking your teacher for help again and so forth and so on, each time I came up with a possible solution – she kept coming up with excuses as to why my plan wouldn’t work. The more scenarios I came up with the more she debunked them…

Finally she said, “I’m just going to carry my stuff around, It’s really no big deal” By this time I had gotten a little frustrated and just told her to do what she wanted to do. But at the same time, I thought – Okay, so why did you come to me again?

As I walked on the treadmill that morning – I began to think about the situation with my daughter and how it related to God. I began to wonder how God must feel when we come to him with an issue and he gives us a solution but we make excuses as to why his way wouldn’t work and why our way is better. And I’m sure like me, he wants to say – But, Would you just listen to me?

Shunning my daughter away after a failed success of listening etiquette, is exactly how God does us. When we refuse to listen to his way, he let’s us go to do it our way and when our way fails?, unlike our so-called friends whom shame us by saying such lines as “I told you so” or “See, you should have listened to me” or “You feel crazy now, don’t you” and in most cases, they wash their hands of you altogether – All because you didn’t “listen” to their instructions. But if you’ve suffered or paid the price for not listening to God (and I believe we all have) Get ready to be celebrated because God in all his mercy and grace doesn’t do us like that, he’s not the God that’s going to make you feel badder than what you already feel, instead he accepts us back with forgiving arms.

And that’s how I did my daughter when she came back to me that same day to apologize. Just as a good parent would do, God is available to give you his wisdom and instructions for you to have a good life, what seems like the right choice in our head at the moment; may not be the same way in which God would like for us to handle the situation. I promise and it’s not always popular – But getting advice from God is the best way, it may take you longer to get through it, but you can rest assured that the end result will be a “sweet success”

While I continue to work on my patience with my daughters up and down ways, God wants to know from you today “Would you just listen to Me?” – Are you listening?…

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Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Let’s Live Well, Laugh Loud & Love Hard!

All other images used were courtesy of Bing ~