Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful, Useful
Review: I really enjoyed the book (tape version). While the first halfalmost lost my interest, with the abstract discussion of possible problems, the second half more than made up for it. It has examples of how to put their methods into execution and was quite insightful. I have used their methods in several stressful situations and found that they turned the situation into a win-win. While some parts of the book were counter-intuitive (when you're angry, look at the child's side) they really do work. My only reservation is their belief that all parents have some parenting problems and they do not spend enough time discussing the many different healthy ways chilren can be raised.I highly recommend the book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Useful
Review: I really enjoyed the book (tape version). While the firsthalfalmost lost my interest, with the abstract discussion of possible problems, the second half more than made up for it. It has examples of how to put their methods into execution and was quite insightful. I have used their methods in several stressful situations and found that they turned the situation into a win-win. While some parts of the book were counter-intuitive (when you're angry, look at the child's side) they really do work. My only reservation is their belief that all parents have some parenting problems and they do not spend enough time discussing the many different healthy ways chilren can be raised. I highly recommend the book.
Rating:
Summary: Best Parenting Book Ever
Review: I recommend this book to every parent who mentions struggling with their child(ren). It goes beyond being just a parenting-technique book to helping the parent identify their own issues stemming from childhood. Through that process, the parent learns where his/her weaknesses or blocks are, so that they have the clarity to discern what is actually occurring with the child, rather than being clouded by his/her perceptions. From there, the parent can use the techniques taught in the book to help the child move successfully through the developmental phase that is causing frustration. My favorite parts of the book are the detailed explanations of the chronological stages of a child's life; the explanation and examples of symbiotic parenting; and the explanation of how we learn to parent how are parents parented us, which is how they were parented, ad infinitum, with the assurance that we can break the cycle of mistakes. This is a book for parents who are committed to helping their children navigate through life, even though it requires some self-discovery. It is not a book for a parent who wants a quick solution, because this requires commitment. For me, the healing that resulted in myself, my child and our relationship went far beyond what I was asking for, making the commitment a bargain at any price.
Rating:
Summary: Best Parenting Book Ever
Review: I recommend this book to every parent who mentions struggling with their child(ren). It goes beyond being just a parenting-technique book to helping the parent identify their own issues stemming from childhood. Through that process, the parent learns where his/her weaknesses or blocks are, so that they have the clarity to discern what is actually occurring with the child, rather than being clouded by his/her perceptions. From there, the parent can use the techniques taught in the book to help the child move successfully through the developmental phase that is causing frustration. My favorite parts of the book are the detailed explanations of the chronological stages of a child's life; the explanation and examples of symbiotic parenting; and the explanation of how we learn to parent how are parents parented us, which is how they were parented, ad infinitum, with the assurance that we can break the cycle of mistakes. This is a book for parents who are committed to helping their children navigate through life, even though it requires some self-discovery. It is not a book for a parent who wants a quick solution, because this requires commitment. For me, the healing that resulted in myself, my child and our relationship went far beyond what I was asking for, making the commitment a bargain at any price.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Your Average Parenting Book
Review: I was somewhat disappointed, having read Hendrix's other books. This book is set up very much like Simple Abundance, and each day has its "words to live by". For example, there is no path to follow if you know your child is suffering from the psycholigical disorder that is commonly known as adolescence. Not bad, but not chock full of valuable exercises like his previous works. Nicole Flowers
Rating:
Summary: Not Your Average Parenting Book
Review: I was somewhat disappointed, having read Hendrix's other books. This book is set up very much like Simple Abundance, and each day has its "words to live by". For example, there is no path to follow if you know your child is suffering from the psycholigical disorder that is commonly known as adolescence. Not bad, but not chock full of valuable exercises like his previous works. Nicole Flowers
Rating:
Summary: Not Your Average Parenting Book
Review: I was somewhat disappointed, having read Hendrix's other books. This book is set up very much like Simple Abundance, and each day has its "words to live by". For example, there is no path to follow if you know your child is suffering from the psycholigical disorder that is commonly known as adolescence. Not bad, but not chock full of valuable exercises like his previous works. Nicole Flowers
Rating:
Summary: Loved this book! It changed all our lives!!!
Review: My husband and I both loved this book so much and it gave us such great perspective on our children, now 5 and 2 1/2. We have both really relaxed as parents after reading this book and we have gained such a greater understanding into ourselves and why we react to our children the way we do. When my children were both babies, I did not worry about their behavior and was able to give them unconditional love and support. As they got older though, my expectations of them increased and I became uncomfortable with their behavior in many instances (temper tantrums, rude to other adults, unable to share -- normal stuff!). Before reading this book, I constantly worried that my children might end up as "brats" and so much of my son's behavior I interpretted as bratty or felt that if I did not "crack down" on him, he'd end up a "brat." He was continually being put in time outs and worse, spanking him was not unusual. My husband and I hated the constant battles and disciplinary actions which we dreded enforcing and thought there must be a better way. After coming to terms with the way we were parented, we are able to respond calmly and with understanding (most of the time!) when my children do something inappropriate, as opposed to reacting with discipline and control. I now try to take time to look at the behavior objectively and determine if the behavior really does need to be corrected, or if the behavior is normal for where they are at developmentally I am just reacting because of my own personal "baggage." As a result, my relationship with them has GREATLY improved and our home is in harmony most of the time. We have only rarely spanked our child since reading this book and are working toward removing this from our parenting style altogether (difficult for us, since we were both routinely and often spanked as chilren). I can almost always talk my very high-spirited 2 1/2 year old out of a temper tantrum, instead of getting angry/upset or ignoring her and having it escalate from there. It is so touching to me, too that she has started coming to me after she's composed herself after a tantrum or start of one and, completely unsolicited say "Sorry, Mommy" and give me a hug and a kiss because through my love, understanding and empathy, she is learning on her own that tantrums are not the best way to deal with life's problems! My children are generally very cooperative and loving. We are working toward mutual respect and trust for each other for a lifetime. I now see my children obey me out of this love and respect, and not because of fear of punishment. I highly recommend this book to any parent who is unhappy with their current parenting style that may be based on control or intimidation of the children.
Rating:
Summary: Loved this book! It changed all our lives!!!
Review: My husband and I both loved this book so much and it gave ussuch great perspective on our children, now 5 and 2 1/2. We have both really relaxed as parents after reading this book and we hav e gained such a greater understanding into ourselves and why we react to our children the way we do. When my children were both babies, I did not worry about their behavior and was able to give them unconditional love and support. As they got older though, my expectations of them increased and I became uncomfortable with their behavior in many instances (temper tantrums, rude to other adults, unable to share -- normal stuff!). Before reading this book, I constantly worried that my children might end up as "brats" and so much of my son's behavior I interpretted as bratty or felt that if I did not "crack down" on him, he'd end up a "brat." He was continually being put in time outs and worse, spanking him was not unusual. My husband and I hated the constant battles and disciplinary actions which we dreded enforcing and thought there must be a better way. After coming to terms with the way we were parented, we are able to respond calmly and with understanding (most of the time!) when my children do something inappropriate, as opposed to reacting with discipline and control. I now try to take time to look at the behavior objectively and determine if the behavior really does need to be corrected, or if the behavior is normal for where they are at developmentally I am just reacting because of my own personal "baggage." As a result, my relationship with them has GREATLY improved and our home is in harmony most of the time. We have only rarely spanked our child since reading this book and are working toward removing this from our parenting style altogether (difficult for us, since we were both routinely and often spanked as chilren). I can almost always talk my very high-spirited 2 1/2 year old out of a temper tantrum, instead of getting angry/upset or ignoring her and having it escalate from there. It is so touching to me, too that she has started coming to me after she's composed herself after a tantrum or start of one and, completely unsolicited say "Sorry, Mommy" and give me a hug and a kiss because through my love, understanding and empathy, she is learning on her own that tantrums are not the best way to deal with life's problems! My children are generally very cooperative and loving. We are working toward mutual respect and trust for each other for a lifetime. I now see my children obey me out of this love and respect, and not because of fear of punishment. I highly recommend this book to any parent who is unhappy with their current parenting style that may be based on control or intimidation of the children.
Rating:
Summary: Doing your Homo-work as a parent and Gay Parent
Review: The writing of Harville Hendrix's have become my relationship bibles. I find his clear way of taking psychological theory and putting into practice for relationships of all kind very effective.
Lesbian and Gay parents have their work cut out for them in dealing with issues as a parent that are across the board as well as their work on how the homophobic culture will affect their children. What I love about this book is that it invites the parent to look at their own childhood knowing that that is often where parents get stuck. Internalized homophobia will be an important thing to consider for Gay parents in the identity stage of a child's development as well as the intimacy formation stage.
Also, for straight parents worried about their children being gay, there is a wonderful line in the book on page 224: The conscious parent understands that his child is "trying on" identities now in the present, not forecasting who he will be in the future. If a boy dresses up in the pretty party dress his mother saved from her childhood, that does not mean that he will have problems with sexual identity......Obviously he wont' grow up to be Big Bird or Spiderman, although he may identify with them as characters who have powerful personalities". Hurray for Harville Hendrix and Helen Hunt for writing a supurb book!
Joe Kort
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