My Daughter & Me: Parenting a Polymath

By: Paul Ivey

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

This book tells the story of a first-time father embracing and performing the duty of father to his daughter from before she was born. The author’s motivation for writing it is to share his experiences as a father with the world, and in particular would-be fathers, about how rewarding and beneficial it is to perform this important duty to their offspring. The author also hopes this book will make good fathers better and positively influence “dead-beat” ones to change their ways. The author describes how an “open education” philosophy guided the parenting of his daughter, and, complemented by formal education, resulted in her developing into a young polymath, who racked up an impressive record of academic and social achievements. This led the author to pose the question: is a polymath born or made? This book also highlights the contribution of one of Jamaica’s best high schools – Westwood High School – in equipping the author’s daughter and other students with lifelong “success habits” that include self-discipline, hard work, excellence, diligence, leadership, and sisterhood. “Well-rounded” is the word that best describes a graduate of Westwood High School. This book also gives prominence to the important roles of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Association of Science Teachers of Jamaica (ASTJ) in the popularization of Science and Technology (S&T) in various forms, especially among the youth; as well as the vital role of the Caribbean Youth Science Forum (CYSF) as a platform for science students to interact with leading local and international scientists and professionals to gain knowledge and expert guidance on modern careers in Science, Technology & Innovation. A central theme of this book is the importance of the “Yin and Yang” roles of both parents in the life of a child.