Rating: 
Summary: More people should stand up for KIDS like this!
Review: I think it's sad that anyone has to try so hard to convince the people of this country to do what's right for their children, but it's apparent that many people don't even want to hear the message, so Dr. Laura takes a big stand on the unpopular (but right) stance. Everyone seems to want to blame the serious problems we encounter in our society on other people or institutions, but few are willing to take the responsibility for raising their own children properly. I wish there were more people promoting this message!For those of you who don't like Dr. Laura's style, you're entitled to your opinion, of course. But attacking the message on the grounds that you're entitled to do what you want and live your life however you want to just confirms the message of this book - that many adults are spending too much time taking care of themselves and ignoring their childrens' needs. I'm pregnant with my first child, and my husband and I are willing to make personal sacrifices in order to do what is right in raising this child, including giving up a good 2nd income and doing without the nice vacations and fun "toys" we've had in the past. I only wish more people felt this way.
Rating:
Summary: It's time for this message to be told
Review: I enjoyed Parenthood by Proxy very much, mostly due to the fact that I agree with the message. Unlike the other review written for the book so far, I do listen to Dr. Laura and agree with her stance on being an at-home parent. Media and gossip magazines are calling Dr. Laura a "bigot", but unless you listen to her regularly you should not listen to those reports. She is a woman of God and reminds us daily of our obligation to children. Most parents today take the easy way out when they have a child and allow the child to grow up in a day care facility because they still want "a life of their own" and the new cars, the big house and "stuff". I hope that every pregnant woman (and expecting fathers!) read this latest book by Dr. Laura and make the life change that's necessary to raise a loved, confident and moral child.
Rating:
Summary: Stay at home if you can
Review: If, and "if" is the key word here, if you can arrange to stay at home with your children, you should.
After listening to Laura's advice, I found out that I was missing the most important years with my kids and decided to stay at home. After all, children are our most valuble resource and they deserve our love and undivided attention.
Rating:
Summary: Right on, Dr. Laura, you're 99.5% right!
Review: Having read "The Ten Commandments" by Dr. Laura, I saw this one in the library & couldn't pass it up. In this, her newest book, she details what's wrong with this country when it comes to children. Far from being doom & gloom, she, as one reviewer so eloquently stated, "hit the nail on the head". She takes aim at those who are working simply to be able to provide themselves with the nicest car on the lot or the nicest house on the street. Many have become too concerned with "keeping up with the Jones's" too even care about their own children. Yes, there are times when it becomes necessary for both parents to work and in those situations, some have to make a tough choice to put their children in day care. This is not a judgement against those people nor is it a judgement against the day care industry. Let's face the cold hard facts, here. Children need TWO loving parents at all times-not a significant other, not a part-time dad or mom. Studies have shown this to be the ideal situation. Of course, we all know terrible events happen such as the loss of a parent or a parent deciding to abandon their family. Either one of these situations would result in only a one parent family, but Dr. Laura isn't condemning those in that situation. What she is condemning is the Murphy Brown-esque type of thinking-becoming a parent on purpose without being married! Shacking up? The Bible plainly states (for those who would take the time to read it) that pre-marital sex is wrong. I'm sorry, but it's plain as day. Homosexual adoption? Again, I'll make enemies here. I have family and good friends who are homosexual, but a child simply does not thrive in this type of environment. In short, thank you Dr. Laura for being the voice crying in the wilderness. Along with Rush Limbaugh, you're helping bring America back to it's common sense.
Rating:
Summary: To those of you who disagree......
Review: To those who have read this book and find Dr. Laura brash & doesn't have a grip on modern day realities....you must be feeling some sort of guilt and she's struck a cord. How can anyone deny that children nowadays are unruly, disrespectful and voilent? Ever stop and wonder why? Dr. Laura hits it right on the nail--it begins with the parents. The message in this book is not a new theory that pychologists love to discover every few years. It is a back-to-the-basic message about actual parents raising their own children. How can you stick a child in daycare 8+ hours a day--that's the majority of their waking hours!--and think it doesn't have an impact? I ask everyone of you---as a child, would you want to spend your days in daycare or at home with your parents? Why is Dr. Laura persecuted for stating the obvious?
Rating:
Summary: Stay at home if you can
Review: If, and "if" is the key word here, if you can arrange to stay at home with your children, you should.
After listening to Laura's advice, I found out that I was missing the most important years with my kids and decided to stay at home. After all, children are our most valuble resource and they deserve our love and undivided attention.
Rating: 
Summary: Not her best effort
Review: I am no fan of the Dr. Laura show but I usually enjoy her as an author (particularly the Ten Commandments and Ten Stupid Things Men Do to Mess Up Their Lives). I don't always agree with her, but I'm willing to listen to anyone make a sensible compelling argument--from Hillary Clinton to Rush Limbaugh. This is one book that could honestly be a pamphlet--or better yet simply read any of her other works and her opinions on this matter will be reiterated time and time again. Her basic premise is that putting a child in day-care is awful and families who do so in the name of providing a better life for their kids are REALLY interested in providing a better life for themselves, thus they are selfish. Rather than her engaging style which she uses in other works Dr. Laura writes this as a dissertation citing everything from the Bible to Time Magazine to support her views. Both my wife and I are in the health-care professions which allows us a good amount of flexibility in our scheduling--which allowed us to keep our daughter out of day care---but we realize we are incredibly lucky to have that ability--and certainly don't condemn other loving parents. Dr. Laura seems to think that the two parent families who are putting their children in day care all have 6 bedroom homes with 2 SUV's and make annual trips to Fiji and they are unwilling to give up this lavish lifestyle for the Children. From my perspective the people with the large homes/SUV's are the one's who DON'T have both parents working--it's the "regular folks" like myself and my wife who drive used cars, clip coupons, rarely go anywhere and simply want a nice home in a safe neighborhood in a solid school district that Dr. Laura alienates time and time again. To suggest that everyone who can't afford to have a full-time stay at home Mom NOT have children is beyond insulting. I'm not giving the poor review, however, because I disagree with her premise--I'm giving it because the book is incredibly repetitive and tedious reading. She's a pretty good writer. This is a pretty bad book.
Rating:
Summary: I agreed with everything she was saying about parenthood
Review: I do believe we need to do more for our children and parents, especially for the mothers. This book talks about the importance of having a dad in a child's life, stupid reasons why to have kids and why we need to be there for our children and raise them also. I also agree with her that a child needs both parents, a mom and a dad.
Rating:
Summary: Well this says it all
Review: "My moms were better parents than 99% of the straight parents out there" The fact that you believe this shows what was wrong with your parenting relationship. Even those of us doing all the "right" things still would not pretend that we are better parents than this one or that. Your two moms are still not a mom and a dad. They may have been wonderful, but they are still not equal to an equally good mother and father, I think that is always Dr. Laura's point and I agree. And I speak from experience having an absolutely wonderful lesbian sil who raised her 3 children after abandonment with her companion. These children still missed out on a father. Truth is truth. Why can't people accept that without getting so defensive?
Rating: 
Summary: A shrill voice of reason
Review: I really wanted to like this book. And, to be fair, I agree with most of the conclusions. However, Laura Schlessinger has the bad luck to blend the acerbic style of Ann Robinson ("The weakest link") into a subject that requires the most compassionate understanding of one of life's greatest emotional challenges, i.e., child rearing. There is too much lecturing, off-the-cuff examples of obviously bad and irrational parenting, and simple overkill. The good news and important lessons are lost in the rhetoric. The world certainly needs better parents and families. More traditional methods of family formation and parenting have grown out of fashion and need a clear, fresh, positive re-examination. As much as its needed, I doubt this book will become the manual for many of those (prospective) parents.
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