Rating: 
Summary: pass on it.
Review: I can not recommend this book enough to all of the parents I know. After reading "The Key to your child's heart", my parenting techniques where quickly and definitely being improved and empowered. My children began to respond to me in a much more positive fashion 'cause they knew my heart was in the right place. In summary, a parents ultimate goal is to work themselves out of a job by raising self sufficient, confident and independent young adults! Thanks Mr.Smalley!
Rating: 
Summary: This book made me see my children in a whole new way!
Review: I can not recommend this book enough to all of the parents I know. After reading "The Key to your child's heart", my parenting techniques where quickly and definitely being improved and empowered. My children began to respond to me in a much more positive fashion 'cause they knew my heart was in the right place. In summary, a parents ultimate goal is to work themselves out of a job by raising self sufficient, confident and independent young adults! Thanks Mr.Smalley!
Rating:
Summary: The Key to Your Child's Heart
Review: I've often heard said that the key to a man's heart is through his stomach. So, I guess it follows that the key to a child's heart is via beating his/her backside?
If your Jesus would advocate hurting another human being for some greater good, I don't want to know your Jesus.
Rating:
Summary: This book is for people who choose to spank their kids.
Review: If you believe that hitting your children is an appropriate method of disicipline then this is the book for you. If not pass on "The Key to Your Child's Heart". The author states that the "paddle" used to spank his kids was decorated by the entire family! The book is also filled with references to Jesus Christ and God, which may be a problem if you are not a religous person.
Rating:
Summary: This is an excellent book!
Review: Not only was this book insightful and practical, it was also very easy to read. It has helped me to understand my children better and consequently extend more love and acceptance towards them.
Rating: 
Summary: take it with a grain of salt
Review: Overall,I believe that the book provides some good commonsense
advice.I do not doubt Dr. Smalley's credentials or his sincerity.However,I have a major with Smalley's overemphasis on the importance of spanking.In fact,the spanking method smalley used on his own kids was much more harsh,cruel,and potential injurious than anything advocated by Dr. Dobson.
Dobson's idea of spanking is a maximum of three light strokes with a switch.Smalley would force his kids to lie flat on their stomachs on a bed,and then he would paddle them at least until they cried.My friends who paddle their kids make them bend over a chair,and never use more than 4 or 5 swats.Forcing a kid to lie on his/her stomach and then insisting on making him/her cry is foolish,especially for kids with tough seats who resist crying.Smalley's advice could inadvertantly lead to abuse.Smalley did not mention whether he did it bare bottom or not,but parents who choose to paddle their kids bare and use Smalley's technique could very easily bruise their childen.It is obvious from the doctor's description of the punishments that his kids were terrified of him and his spankings.The eldest child got in trouble with the law as a teenager.I was only whipped in school,not at home,and I was never arrested-case in point.I was better behaved and a better student than Smalley's heavily spanked oldest.Be careful with this stuff.Only very strong and resilient kids can be tortured like this without harm.
Rating: 
Summary: Sharing Life together in the Family
Review: Smalley's book on parenting, "The Key to your Child's Heart" invites parents to share life together with their kids, heart to heart, at the daily, emotional and spiritual level of life. His over-indulgence in lists (84 ways, 4 basic types, 2 factors, 3 powerful ways, 19 ways, 6 characteristics) cheapens the material in this book in my opinion. But Smalley had condensed into this volume a wise perspective on parenting and dozens of practical ideas for improving your family life. Also recommended--THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad, 2000, 192pp., trade paperback).
Rating:
Summary: take it with a grain of salt
Review: Smalley's book on parenting, "The Key to your Child's Heart" invites parents to share life together with their kids, heart to heart, at the daily, emotional and spiritual level of life. His over-indulgence in lists (84 ways, 4 basic types, 2 factors, 3 powerful ways, 19 ways, 6 characteristics) cheapens the material in this book in my opinion. But Smalley had condensed into this volume a wise perspective on parenting and dozens of practical ideas for improving your family life. Also recommended--THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad, 2000, 192pp., trade paperback).
Rating:
Summary: Sharing Life together in the Family
Review: Smalley's book on parenting, "The Key to your Child's Heart" invites parents to share life together with their kids, heart to heart, at the daily, emotional and spiritual level of life. His over-indulgence in lists (84 ways, 4 basic types, 2 factors, 3 powerful ways, 19 ways, 6 characteristics) cheapens the material in this book in my opinion. But Smalley had condensed into this volume a wise perspective on parenting and dozens of practical ideas for improving your family life. Also recommended--THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad, 2000, 192pp., trade paperback).
Rating:
Summary: pass on it.
Review: The book is not w/o some good points,but the descriptions of cruel disciple with religious overtones,in the James Dobson tradition,vitiates against any positive value the book may have.It is also much too anecdotal in nature,and its parenting prescriptions do not take into account the fact that a child have have special needs or undiagnosed mental health problems.
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