Awakening Child By Heather Grace

Product
Tested By Diane Somers – Charlie & Oliver 10 & 5 Years

Diane Awarded
The Awakening Child By Heather Grace 5/5

I was thinking I would struggle with reading the book; I am an avid
reader of novels, as I thought these types of ‘help’ books could be quite
technical, in depth and boring however I was so surprised to find it was
written in such a fluent way like a biography with information which was
relevant and easy to understand. The link to additional information via the
internet was also very helpful as more resources were available. Lovely soft
backed book which is easy to pop into my bag for reading on the go. The paper
quality was very good and it took to corner page bending very well so I could
refer back to sections when needed. I then used small post it notes to
highlight areas I wanted to go back to or exercises I wanted to use. The front
was very appealing and had a calming yet informative cover. It seemed more
inviting than just a reference book and the information on the back created
positive interest. I do have a book which is directed at mindfulness for
children with ADHD which has a number of written exercises which need more
planning to put into place whereas this book had listening and talking
exercises that were easier to adapt during the day. This book was written more
informally and not clinical so easier to follow and more interesting. I found
the book easy to read, made me laugh out loud at times, I recognised some of
the situations the writer had been in and it felt as though I was hearing from
a friend. It put things into perspective. The case studies helped to show that
I wasn’t the only one who was struggling with behavioural aspects and being
able to bookmark some of the exercises to refer back to was very good. I also
enjoyed reading the insightful extracts at the beginning of each chapter which
were like poems and things to make you think. Very easy to read, helpful and
able to take what you need to use from the book and put it into practice during
everyday life. It’s a book where you can keep dipping back into the chapters
when faced with certain situations and use what you need at the time. It is not
something you read then put to one side as finished. I will definitely refer
back to the book when needed and refresh myself with some of the exercises. It
is good to read the case studies and reflect that I am not alone with things
that are beyond my control within my family life. I would recommend as very
easy to read, able to refer to when needed and very helpful with the exercises
which are relaxing and easy to follow instructions. I read through the chapters
in order initially and felt relieved that I am a normal parent in relation to
the case studies which was comforting to know. I used a number of the exercises
with my son, who has ADHD, and after the initial giggles, messing about and
talking whilst trying to relax, he came round and enjoyed just sitting and
thinking with me which was great to have one one-to-one time. I also talked
through some of the strategies with my 5 year old son whilst we had our evening
cuddles on the couch. He listened and we relaxed together. The book made me
think about my everyday life, about how much we rush around and don’t take time
to just sit, think and talk to each other. It was a gentle reminder to slow
down and enjoy things more. Diane
Somers – Charlie & Oliver 10 & 5 Years

Product
Tested By Adeline Kretz – Hannah 6 years

Adeline Awarded
The Awakening Child By Heather Grace 3.9/5

I was a bit dubious when I received the book. I am not familiar with
mindfulness and this did not look like the kind of books I would usually read. The
book is well written and easy to read. It is well presented and the cover is
lovely. I have never read books on mindfulness before so cannot compare. I
enjoyed parts of it but found it difficult to take the time to read through the
exercises to practice mindfulness. The book is well organised, with easy to
follow paragraphs that you can refer to. It may be helpful to have an index to
find some of the different ‘techniques’. I like the fact that the book gave
practical steps to follow rather than just explain about mindfulness in
general. I also found it interesting that it explained how to teach mindfulness
to children. This is a good book for anyone interested in learning more about
mindfulness and how to apply it to your day to day life and teach it to your
children. Affordable book which is in the usual price range for this kind of
books. I would consider applying some of the techniques such as the BE.LOVE
technique which reminds you to stop and really listen to your child when they
are distressed, to validate their feelings and give them choices. I would
recommend it to friends or family who are interested in knowing more about
mindfulness. This book is well written and explains mindfulness is a simple and
approachable way. Moreover, it has plenty of exercises to help you apply mindfulness
The reason I gave this a 3 is that this is not really a book for me. Receiving
this book to review, I was dubious that I would find it interesting. I have
found it well written and easy to follow, however I found it difficult to get
into it and to do the exercises throughout the book. Adeline Kretz – Hannah 6 years 

Product Tested By Olivia Neale – Caitlin & Abi – 12 & 8 Years

Olivia Awarded
The Awakening Child By Heather Grace 3.4/5

This book looked bulky and good quality but personally I prefer
paperbacks. The quality is good and the
paper used is high quality and lovey to turn.
Loved the cover very appealing. I
have not seen any similar books covering this area before. Personally I found
this book very difficult to get into and I felt like I was being told what to
do rather than being guided. I must
admit I did use book as reference guide and this did help. Personally I did not really like this book
but might be ideal for others. I do feel
this book is slightly high in price. I
personally prefer reading uplifting feel good books and this actual made me
feel unhappy. Not one for me I am
afraid. Olivia Neale – Caitlin & Abi
– 12 & 8 Years