For Immediate Release

Western Mom Promotes a New Paradigm for Raising Humanity

ESCONDIDO, Calif. –  “Kissing The Mirror: Raising Humanity in the Twenty-first Century”  is part autobiography and part clarion call for a new, more dynamic, narrative for human development. Written with humility and humor, it explores social entrepreneur Marlaine Paulsen Cover’s journey from working wife/mother to humanitarian/international activist.

In “Kissing the Mirror” Mama Marlaine illuminates “The Mandatory Curriculum” facing every human being and the challenges that inspired her to create a communication tool called The Life Skills Report Card. She then describes the birth of an international consciousness movement, Parenting 2.0 (P20), that sprouted when she shared the Life Skills Report Card publicly. The mission of Parenting 2.0 is for “children’s Life Skills Average to one day be as appreciated as their Grade Point Average.”

An excerpt from “Kissing The Mirror”:

A poem titled ‘Children learn what they live’ is internationally famous. Its popularity among educators and the families they serve is tragic. Why do people around the world readily support children spending decades learning math, sports, and music from third party credentialed instructors, but accept children’s education in Life Skills as being limited to parents’ behavior? What price do we pay for this impoverished narrative for human development?”

In August 2012, Parenting 2.0 made history by holding the first professional conference to recognize life skills as distinct, critical skill sets teachable by third party educators, P20 Talks. Gathering Life Skills educators from four continents and multiple professional fields, the highlight of P20 Talks was the unveiling of an international volunteer organization called The Global Presence. The Global Presence aims to effect positive change in every avenue of human interaction by unifying Life Skills educators and facilitating parents’ access to critical resources. 

One hundred percent of all proceeds from the sale of Kissing the Mirror are being donated to Parenting 2.0′s community service arm, The Global Presence.

Amazon Bestseller Five Star Reviews: 

“Kissing the Mirror is a must read for anyone currently raising kids, or thinking about raising kids in the future! It takes everything you think you know about what it takes to raise a child, and completely changes your perspective!”

“Kissing the Mirror is full of wonderful and practical life lessons to inspire all of us. I am taking the wisdom from Kissing the Mirror and will use it as a model for myself and my family.”

“From the moment I started reading this book, I knew I wasn’t going to put it down until I finished it. Kissing The Mirror: Raising Humanity in the Twenty-First Century, is deeply personal and yet global in its scope, and full of transformational insights. This wonderful book is a call to action to embrace a different kind of “report card,” one that emphasizes critical life skills like personal care, time management, and communication and social skills, among others. This is a book for parents and non-parents alike. I admire and applaud author Marlaine Paulsen Cover for blazing the trail as a social entrepreneur and leader. I highly recommend this excellent book!”

“Kissing the Mirror is a must read for all parents and educators! It’s about the important stuff that nobody teaches us when raising/teaching children. I instantly found ways to incorporate the “Life Lessons” from the book to use with my 10 & 12 year old boys…I love the “Life Skills Report Card!” I know the reminders in this book can make us all more conscious and connected parents and educators! Thank you Mama Marlaine for your beautiful insights and essential wisdom for the benefit of a thriving, globally-connected humanity!”

 EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact

Interviews with P20 Founder – Marlaine Cover

1. How to Teach Children the Skills They Need to Succeed, Host Meryl Neiman of Playdate Planet
2. The Life Skills Report Card Host Margaret Ashley of the Natural Learning Centre
3. Stop Raising Einstein – Kids got skills! Host Tara Kennedy-Kline of Stop Raising Einstein
4. Inspired Children Host Dr. Rosina McAlpine