Your Passport to Parenting

Wisdom from Around the World to Help Build Happy Families

By: Joanne Holbrook

Narrated by: Joanne Holbrook

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

A Graceful and Curious Approach to Parenting

This book was very enlightening to say the least. I loved hearing the Author’s learned experiences living in a variety of countries. Parenting is hard! And at the end of the day, we are all trying our best. I often found myself welled up with tears, sometimes even flowing, because some of the situations were so relatable. And some of the gestures from one person to a mother, so sweet. And sometimes not so much. The roller coaster of parenting! I highly recommend this book to any person with a curiosity to be a better parent or even best support other parents. And Lord knows we could always use a little extra support. So basically, everybody give this a read- please and thank you!

Sincerely,
A mother doing her best

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.....

Amazing read!!

This book not only speaks to a parents heart, but I would venture to say that anyone who picks it up will walk away changed. Listening to the warm voice of the author brought the pages to life and allowed me to picture things in my own life and the life of of my children that I real are and have related to. 100% recommend this book to any and everyone.

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.

Absolutely a must read!

I urge everyone with children, no matter their age, to read or listen to this book! It's a conglomerate of parenting stories from around the world, sharing their differences and their amazing cultures. I only wish this book was around when my kids were little, but there's so much to take away from this book, regardless of your children's ages. I truly treasure this book and it's author. Thank you, Joanne, for sharing these stories with the world.

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!

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.

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!

Absolutely beautiful!

I loved every minute of it and took notes! Thank you, Joanne for sharing your beautiful soul and stories.