Book Nook: License to Parent

I recently had a chance to read a book by former spy turned stay-at-home mom Christina Hillsberg. The book, License to Parent, is her guide to raising resilient, self-sufficient kids based on her experience as a CIA analyst. 

The beginning of the book gives a little background - she never dreamed that taking a college Swahili course would lead her to a career in the CIA, which she fully expected to lean into, not even thinking about parenting at the time. But she met Ryan, a hotshot field operative, and they got married and started raising his three children from his first marriage and then two more of her own.

There is a little bit in the book about melding different parenting styles as she realized that Ryan parented using his CIA training and field experience - and how that equipped the kids to deal with anything. The book uses anecdotes of daily life that will resonate with many parents, as well as specific tips to help raise well-rounded kids who can navigate through life.

I liked a lot of things about this book. I liked the idea of raising kids to be resilient and self-sufficient. I also liked how she was up front, even if not very detailed, about melding different parenting styles and life looking different than originally expected. It made the book relatable and easy to read. It also has a different vibe than other parenting books, with a very different focus - so even if you've read other parenting books before, you're likely to get some new nuggets of wisdom out of this one.

 

Christina and Ryan Hillsberg are former spies with more than twenty years' experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency before transitioning to the private sector. They live near Seattle, Washington, with their five children and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks.