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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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LICENSE TO PARENT

Ryan Hillsberg Christina Hillsberg

How My Career as a Spy Helped Me Raise Resourceful, Self-Sufficient Kids

A groundbreaking parenting guide told through the eyes of a CIA spy turned stay-at-home-mom who leverages her CIA skills and training to teach parents how to raise confident, security-conscious children.
Christina was a single, successful CIA analyst with a burgeoning career in espionage when she met fellow spy, Ryan, a hotshot field operative who turned her world upside down. They fell in love, married, and soon were raising the three children from his first marriage, and later, two more together.

Christina knew immediately that there was something special about the way Ryan was parenting his kids, although she had to admit that their obsession with surviving end-of-world scenarios and their ability to do everything from archery to motorcycle riding initially gave her pause. But more than that, Ryan's kids were much more security-savvy than most adults she knew.

Christina soon realized that Ryan was using his CIA training and field experience in his day-to-day child-rearing. And why shouldn't he? The CIA trains its employees to be equipped to deal with just about anything. Shouldn't parents strive to do the same for their kids?

As Christina grew into her new role as a stepmom and later gave birth to two children, she got on board with Ryan's unique parenting styleand even helped shape it using her own experiences at the CIA. Told through honest and relatable parenting anecdotes, Christina shares their distinctive approach to raising confident, security-conscious, resilient children, offering practical takeaways rooted in CIA tradecraft along the way. LICENSE TO PARENT will provide parents with the tools necessary to raise savvy, well-rounded kids who have the skills necessary to navigate through life.

Christina Hillsberg and Ryan Hillsberg are former spies with 20+ years' experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency and a combined 24 years of parenting. They live near Seattle with their five children.
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Published 2021-06-08 by Putnam

Comments

Christina Hillsberg, along with husband Ryan Hillsberg, delivers fun and fresh take on parenting guides perfect for parents looking to navigate the risks around raising a child today... This book is ultimately a gem because, unlike any other parenting book - and even many survival books - I've read, License to Parent focuses on teaching the reader how to make decisions quickly and effectively... Be sure to add this to your parenting book club. Read more...

What does being a spy have to do with being a parent? A lot. The intriguing storytelling reads like a novel but the real takeaways here are the crucial everyday skills anyone can teach their kids so they become more independent, more resourceful, and more confident.

With tips for staying safe online, living by one's principles, and finding a healthy balance with risk, this is a fascinating and useful take on parenting. Read more...

A fresh and fascinating perspective on child-rearing. Read more...

License to Parent is full of great parenting tactics, riveting stories from their life in the CIA, and, on top of that, it's FUN... I'll never be a good spy, but with the help of the Hillsbergs, I can be a good mom.

This antidote to helicopter-parenting culture encourages parents to let their kids have authentic experiences of success and failure, preparing children for real life while enjoying the adventure along the way. Read more...

License to Parent is a fascinating view of child rearing through the lens of two ex-CIA agents. The result is a compelling story based on years of specialized training woven into practical techniques that parents and non-parents alike can benefit from learning.

Chinese (compl.): Yuan-Liou

This book is unlike all other parenting books; it's a real story, told from the point-of-view of a CIA agent who first becomes a step-mom and, then, a mom. The advice is funny, important, refreshing and oh-so-needed. I'm so glad I made time for this book.

If Mr. and Mrs. Smith had kids and wrote a parenting book, this is what you'd get: a practical guide for how to utilize key spy tactics to teach kids important life skills--from self-defense to effective communication to conflict resolution. Read more...

You don't need to be afraid to give your kids independence. Just get them ready. License to Parent will help you prepare your kids - and yourself - to handle almost any risk life presents.

What does a spy know about raising kids? Usually they don't tell you. Lucky for us, this one is ready to talk.

Insightful and entertaining, this is a winning spin on the usual parenting fare. Read more...