Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic

Rating:
Summary: Are you an "Inny" or an "Outty"?
Review: I have read dozens of parenting books. I'm well versed in DQ, IQ, temperaments, love languages, "just say no", spank, don't spank, attaching and detaching. I've learned how to behave so my kid will too and I could go on & on about making my kids mind, so I don't loose mine... Each book has wisdom, each has bones. I toss the bones and glean the wisdom. "Raising You Spirited Child" is no different than the others in that respect. Although, it's been the key to making the other 5+ dozen parenting book I've read all fit together and jell. If you're looking for "The" magic pill or book to fix your parenting woos, there simply isn't one. Glean & Toss.

Priceless gem #1 in this book is the author's explanation of introverts & extroverts and how to meet their radically different basic human needs. I have not seen better definitions and ideas that provide real answers, suggestions and solutions. I tire of books that define the problem and suggest it should be fixed. This book has specific suggestions for 'remedial parents' who need more detail on how to accomplish the fixing.

Priceless gem #2 is the author's lists of example tattletale signs when your child is getting ready to blow from either too much verbal interaction or too little. An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

I love that the author offers real life situations and then picks them apart, detailing the what, why and how to solve. She also offers suggestions on how to determine your own what, why & how.

By simply making sure my extrovert has somebody to listen as he decompress his day verbally and finding a quiet corner for my introvert to chill out when his extroverted siblings invade his personal space... our home is now RADICALLY calmer and more peaceful. Now that this need has been excavated and consistently met in our family, the kids are so much more receptive to correction, suggestions, advice and "No, I'm sorry you can't."

As for being spirited, everyone in our family rates in the low to medium ranges of spirited. My husband & I are probably more spirited than any of our four kids. :^) I haven't altered my parenting style drastically, just added the introvert/extrovert understanding and principles. I can't get over how amazing the transformation has been.

Definately worth a read. Probably worth owning if you find you need to refer to the examples.

Rating:
Summary: Don't follow the advice in this book!!!!
Review: I did and ended up with an out of control child. It's so clear to me now that if you allow a child to do whatever they want (which is what is advocated in this book - be on eggshells around your child)your child will be spoiled and not learn how to exist in the world. Read the Omnipotent Child- follow that advice- your child will be much happier and your life wll change completely.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I attended a class on Spited Children, and then bought the book. Turns out I'm a spirited parent and my child's just spunky. I learned great tips on working with my son. Also this book made me feel really good about myself. All the things I was told were by personality flaws are good things not bad. The book showed me how to see my limitations and work with them. I now have much more patience with my child, my husband, and myself.

Rating:
Summary: Insight & Practical Strategies to More Cooperation & Sanity
Review:
Mary gives lots of insight and many how-to's to parents of children that are far more challenging on a daily basis than the average kid. I appreciate the postive tone of this book. Too many times my husband and I want to just give up on this child and say something like, "Well, at least his brother and sister are good!" I am learning to accept what I simply can not change now that I really understand how our temperaments and personalities interact with each other. However, due to this book I have changed my attitude as far as labeling my four year old as "the difficult child." That does become a self-fulfilling prophesy! So many of the strategies in this book have been working and there is a lot more peace and cooperation in my home. It feels so good to be reassured that other kids say and do things that test a parent's sanity and that all of us moms and dads regret what we say and do from time to time. I also want to recommend a very compatible book of quick read suggestions called THE POCKET PARENT. It shares the same compassionate friendly tone, as well as a variety of awesome short real-life anecdotes. This pocket-sized book is fun to read...no paragraphs, just hundreds of specific bullets of helpful tips arranged in an A-Z easy reference of topics (such as bad words, bedtime, biting, hitting and hurting others, interrupting, mealtime, morning crazies, the gimmes, separation anxiety, and whining). Both books give lots of support, a good dose of humor and sensible advice from a positive discipline bent without being preachy nor condescending. THE SPIRITED CHILD is geared to kids of all ages while THE POCKET PARENT is written only for parents of toddlers and preschoolers (2's, 3's, 4's, and 5's). Both books are worthy additions to your library, convenient to refer to over and over again as the need arises.



Rating:
Summary: what's wrong with discipline???
Review: I think this is a crock!!! I have a child who can be defined as "spirited" (whoops, I just labeled her), but I want to know what kind of favor I'm doing her by falling over backwards to give her her way? There is no reason that ANY child cannot be taught to behave appropriately. This book suggests that there's nothing I can do to change my child, so I should just change everyone and everything else around her to accommodate her. I think I'll read The Omnipotent CHild, as suggested by other reviewers... Hopefully it'll teach how to help my child live in the real world and accept that it doesn't revolve around her! BTW, We know a family following the principles in this book and their son is an absolute monster!!! He demands what he wants when he wants it, and as a result of his mother making this happen, no one can stand to be around him!