Your Passport to Parenting

Wisdom from Around the World to Help Build Happy Families

By: Joanne Holbrook

Narrated by: Joanne Holbrook

Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

International parenting

There is more than one way to be a good parent.

Your Passport to Parenting explores parenting ideas from around the world, providing stories and lessons that demonstrate how values-based parenting can help create meaningful bonds between you and your child, while teaching them to be kind, secure, and empathetic. 

From Australia, you will hear how an Aboriginal woman shares her culture and teaches children morals through stories. 

From Fiji, you will hear how Fijians teach their children to first care for others, then for themselves. 

From England, you will hear how a mother taught her children through lessons as a magistrate so she did not have to lecture. 

From Germany, you will hear how German culture teaches children independence. 

From South Africa, you will learn the power of greeting your children. 

From Hawaii, you will learn the importance of an extended family and respect for the land.

Plus, more parenting ideas from Scotland, Czechia, Austria, Denmark, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, and across the United States - some passed down from generation to generation. 

We have all heard it takes a village to raise a child. Your Passport to Parenting expands your village to cover nearly the entire planet. With this expanded village, you will find simple parenting ideas to help teach children values as well as ideas to help make parenting as much fun as being a kid. After you listen to Your Passport to Parenting, you’ll find parenting more meaningful and a bit easier.

Joanne Holbrook is a mother of two and spouse of a United States Army officer. She has lived and raised her family in South Africa, England, Germany, Australia, and across the United States. Born in South Africa and living half her life under the controlling apartheid government, she began to yearn for a better understanding of cultures outside her world. This experience, combined with the world travels that come with a military lifestyle, allowed Joanne to observe culture and parenting from multiple international perspectives and with a broader worldview. Joanne is an author, professional keynote speaker, parenting advocate, and entrepreneur, who, through her friendships, book, and speaking events, shares parenting stories to help build positive, values-based families around the world.

©2020 Joanne Holbrook (P)2021 Joanne Holbrook

Incredible book, incredible lessons

I loved every second of listening to this book!! Joanne authored this book with such a humble, warm, subtly comical, and such a relatable spirit that I listened twice, the second time taking notes! While my own children are 10 and 13, and I very much wish I could have been introduced to these principles and experiences long ago (hellooooooo “Sleep Mookie”), many of these lessons left a mark on my heart and I have begun to implement several of her suggestions in our day-to-day lives. From impressionable and inspirational quotes to straightforward advice, I am in awe of the simplicity and practicality Joanne smoothly and beautifully introduces. Historical and cultural perspectives have opened my heart and eyes to better discern how much we may judge when we don’t understand. Our children are watching our every move and spoken and unspoken language in communicating with them and others. I have always very warmly greeted my children from the moment they wake up to when they come in the door after school and I love hearing how this is impacting their feelings of being loved and wanted. I loved the examples of teaching your children how to speak to others, treat others, and how they can help their future selves with simple tasks. I loved the stories of magic, rules, and the importance of time with and without your children. This entire book made me more curious of my friends who I will now flood with questions to learn more about their beliefs and traditions to better understand them, and teach my children along my own educational journey in doing so. I loved the lessons special needs children were able to teach Joanne because these lessons are pure and easy to see and understand. I have already spoken to my daughter regarding the “moon cycle” suggestion and while she isn’t there yet, she told me she shared this with a friend the day I introduced it to her and her friend said it was “genius” and that she couldn’t wait to share it with her own mother. I was also able to take a deeper dive into exploring and naming my own family values and standards to share with my children in a new way. I plan to introduce the “Circle of Trust” this week with my kids and while I feel we have very open communication, this is a sure-fire way to expand on that in the years to come. My favorite quote, and one I know to be true in many ways, was this: “The voice of a parent has more influence on the development of a child than anything else in the world.” Our kids place so much value on our actions and what we say, share, and how we act. Simple reminders are sometimes needed.
Joanne, thank you, for writing (and narrating in your amazing voice) such an impactful, easy to listen to, easy to follow, fun and thought-provoking book and guide to help others become the best parents they can be. Much love and gratitude!

Incredibly Insightful Book

The author provides a diverse account of experiences on different parenting techniques that the reader can directly apply to their own relationship with their children. The author also provides approaches that can apply to all stages of you relationship with a child from birth to when they are adults. Must read for any parent!

Not Your Typical Parenting Guide

This book is much more than your typical parenting guide. Joanne Holbrook offers a refreshing take from the perspective of an international family on their own transformative journey. Joanne shares life insights with heartwarming, heartbreaking, and often funny anecdotes of people doing life together and figuring it along the way. Her story is vulnerable, touching, funny, and highly relatable. Military and non-military families alike will enjoy this book.

A wonderful journey around the world of parenting

Joanne…I’m so glad that you narrated your own audiobook. It’s wonderful. As a parent who is from and lives in Hawaii, has a husband from South Africa, and travels back and forth to Fiji as often as possible it was a pleasure.
I enjoyed this book of international perspectives. Mahalo and Aloha.

Fabulous!

I absolutely loved this book! We are a military family living in Hawaii, so this book really resonates with me. Joann has wonderful stories for anyone raising children. I loved learning how cultural values influence parenting styles. She has a beautiful voice and I’m so glad she narrated this herself. Thank you for sharing your very interesting and insightful life experiences!

The book for people who don't read parenting books

What kept me hooked was Joanne's consistent flow of really great family ideas that she gathered from her travels as a military wife and mom. I loved hearing the stories she gathered from so many diverse cultures. There are so many things I now want to take for a test drive in my own home! For instance, my husband and I have a set of values we have built our relationship upon. But why hadn’t we thought do that same exercise for our blended family?! It's a great read--she's not preachy. And it might even be better to listen to!

All parents must read this gem

A great reminder that all parents are doing their best. Amazing global stories!!! Download now.

A Mosaic of Mindfulness

I enjoyed the lightness and love that poured acrossed each page in this culmination of stories. Seamless threads of mindfulness and wisdom are woven throughout each of Joanne's experiences and is shared with genuine reverence and admiration. The journey from chapter to chapter is insightful and empowering, leaving you inspired to take on new adventures with your family in ways to truly benefit everyone. Genuine goodness right here.....

A Wonderful Book!

This book is such a valuable tool for parents and even grandparents AND/OR anyone raising children in today's world. I am a grandparent and I resonated with this book so much! I felt proud hearing that many of methods I used were actually good ways to raise children! Also, it is just a feel good book. There are many ways to raise children and they are all valid! Thank you so much for writing this!

Wonderful, Insightful Stories

I have already implemented some of the practices mentioned in this well thought out, superbly written book. The writer does not come off as a know-it-all. She is genuine as she talks about not only her successes, but her struggles as a parent as well. Being in the military myself, I have travelled around just as much as the author, but I was single and had no interest in knowing about how children were raised in different countries. I am retired now, but also married with a child. There is no way I will get a chance to travel and gain all of the cultural insights that are in this book...such a wonderful collection of stories and lessons! This is a definite read for any parent out there...new, seasoned young and old alike. I am a 49 year old parent of a 5 year old and a 3rd generation military father. I exhibit every bad habit mentioned in the book. I was not able to see that until this book came out. I truly believe that it was the unpretentious, straight from the heart approach by the author that helped me really look at what I was doing. I am not perfect...none of us are, but I am trying. Thank you very much Joanne Holbrook for this spectacular collaboration of experiences!

Your Passport to Parenting Review

What I love about this book is how Joanne tells her story with honesty and humor and her voice is clear and easy to listen to. I have learnt so many valuable tools because of this. As a mother and wife I can relate to her and her experiences. I felt that she took me on a journey around the globe and what an experience it was!