Review of Keiko Tanaka’s Book

Book Review of Keiko Tanaka’s Parenting with Vibrant Wisdoms: As a Japanese immigrant and single Mother in America,211 Pages, 2020.

How do we raise our children to be healthy, kind, and happy? Which pedagogical paradigm works best to nurture our children to become respectable members of society? These are the burning questions of most parents. We seek the answers because of our deep love for our children and longing to do right by this onetime opportunity. Is there a concrete meta-formula? Or are parenting skills just implanted within us? Can we shape our children or do they have their own destinies?

In her latest book, Parenting with Vibrant Wisdoms: As a Japanese immigrant and single Mother in America, Ms. Keiko Tanaka provides readers with insightful tools but not just that. She brings them alongside her own adventurous life journey of immigrating to the United States and raising her son as a single mom.

For those readers who are curious off the bat, her son grows up admirably and becomes an award-winning teacher who specializes in multicultural education. Three major principles seem to underlie her parenting philosophies and experience: (1) Unconditional love combined with a fearless maternal instinct, (2) Strong discipline and the prioritization of cultural knowledge, education, and spirituality, and (3) Her own self-care and ability to balance her own wellbeing, career life, and family.

This book serves as a helpful blueprint for charting one’s own path and raising kids whom we’re proud of. It’s chock full of wisdom, funny stories, and heartfelt moments. A must-read book for every parent!