Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

One of the best parenting books

Customer Rating:

It's not often i read a parenting book that really delivers loads of value, but this one is jam-packed with practical advice that really makes sense. Its unpatronising without being too technical, it's easy to read, and it's full of warmth. It makes you feel you're doing an OK job, and gives you the tools to do an even better one. I can wholeheartedly recommend this to parents of kids from birth right through to teens. In fact, probably especially teens.

Difficult to rate

Customer Rating:

Ok so how do you review a book on bringing up children when you've had it for 3 months and my daughter is still a toddler. Well i got the book because i was concious that my child was beginning to understand the concept of naughty and i wanted to see if i could try a different approach to parenting. The book appeares to be primarily aimed at older children and helping them cope with their emotions and feelings as they grow, and to basically give them some life skills so they are more in control of themeselves and a bit happier. I have to say i have seen some positive results from teaching my child (2), words that relate to feelings and how faces look when someone is feeling a particular emotion - Thomas the tank engine books are great for this. She now has a basic grasp when people are happy, sad, tired and she is starting to say if she is tired sad or happy. I have found her watching her reflection in the TV when she's upset which i found a bit weird but i think she's getting the idea. I wouldn't say i found this book a total revelation into easy parenting (whiat do i know it's only been 2 years) but it as given me a different approach to helping my child when she's upset, angry and so on. Hope i can keep it up :O)

excellent book for most people

Customer Rating:

A well written book by a reputable child psychologist, I found it took a bit getting into before I starting warming to book, especially in the beginning chapters. His enthusiasm clearly shows through the book and there is heavy emphasis on empathy and communication. The book explains in great detail the psychology behind the actions of children,but after finishing the book, I feel further study in this particular area would really be necessary to obtain some of the aspirations of this book. I will certainly try as many of the suggestions enclosed with the book, and I'm sure the majority of parents would benefit from this book as well ( would also make a great Christmas gift too!)

A more thoughtful approach to childraising

Customer Rating:

My wife and I were very glad to receive this book, coming as it did a week before our first child. We've watched our share of Supernanny and been to a few parenting seminars so we were intrigued to see what else we could learn. If Supernanny paints with broad brushstrokes, this book inks in all the little details. It doesn't just tell you how to combat bad behaviour, it tells you the psychological, sometimes even the physiological, routes of that behaviour. Definitely more involving and complicated, but potentially ultimately more rewarding. Be prepared to read a lot and do a lot more work with your kids as you learn why they do the things they do.

No need for Super Nanny!!

Customer Rating:

So... a self help guide to parenting ... since children do not arrive with a "how to" guide and a programme to manage the whole business of parenting and coping with all of childhoods life events , trials and tribulations! This book offers suggestions to help children develop the psychological skills to regulate behaviours channelling them into good ones and heading off the bad, in addition it promises to reduce the risk of future mental health problems too. A promise that I felt was probably very ambitious but I would certainly go with many of the suggestions enclosed herein. Resilience , Self Control , feeling good about one-self , dealing with emotions and stress and anxiety are just a few of the no-nonsense chapters within the book. Suggestion to help empower children and develop relationships are offered with easy exercises to help the process - pitched at different levels for different ages and using aids like games and drawings , and drawing on case studies and examples of how (in theory) this will work in the real world!! It is an easy to read book with short chapters , bullet pointed summaries and 'action points' and as an organised methodical person it worked for me - it may not work for everyone!!! but some parts of it might!!!