Rating: 
Summary: A Good Read
Review: Many parenting books are masses of turgid academic glop. Not this one. It's a good read, full of thoughtful--and more important, useful anecdotes. The writer is Wise, and so is this book. Buy it. Read it. Use it. Get mellow. Ripen. Your kids will thank you.
Rating: 
Summary: Wanted more examples of how to do it right.
Review: Okay it scared me as a reader but where were the examples of what to do to make it right? Don't just give us the raw data and feel of the nation re: parenting....give us hope and tell us how to do it better.
Rating:
Summary: Live your life and let your kids live theirs...
Review: The authors put their fingers on a real phenomenon: parents over-programming their kids to the detriment of parents and children alike. The first step to solving a problem is admitting it. In clear, straightforward language thankfully free of jargon, Rosenfeld and Wise give the reader an opportunity to reconsider the meaning of good parenting. I discussed the book with two of my kids who responded with a loud "Duh, Dad, didn't you know that?" I admit, I didn't, but I do now.
Rating:
Summary: Do it for Your Children
Review: This book had to be written! It needs to be read by every parent battling the loss of leisure. Setting limits defies the seeming perfect parent syndrom we have adopted. For those of us who have let the rat race control too much of our lives, it's not too late for change. Do you ever have one of those days when you just have to get away from it all, but can't because that unrelenting calendar is demanding every minute of your day? Do you have time to smell the roses, sit and enjoy your child chasing a butterfly, or find a quite romantic moment to spend alone with your spouse - talking about anything but the kids and who has to be where when? If the answer is no to any of these questions, this book is for you. If you have ever been seriously ill, as I have, you realize that it's the little things: the family time, the unscheduled time, the laughs and talks, that, above all else, create an atmospher our children can thrive in. Dr. Rosenfeld and Nicole Wise bring it all into focus, and make us realize that by "doing it all" and "being it all", we are not helping our family, we are breaking down the fabrics that holds the best part of it together. This book must be read by every parent with a busy lifestyle. It's refreshing to know that we can stop hyper-parenting and start learning again to have spontaneity, relaxation and a place we can truly feel at home.
Rating:
Summary: Do it for Your Children
Review: This book had to be written! It needs to be read by every parent battling the loss of leisure. Setting limits defies the seeming perfect parent syndrom we have adopted. For those of us who have let the rat race control too much of our lives, it's not too late for change. Do you ever have one of those days when you just have to get away from it all, but can't because that unrelenting calendar is demanding every minute of your day? Do you have time to smell the roses, sit and enjoy your child chasing a butterfly, or find a quite romantic moment to spend alone with your spouse - talking about anything but the kids and who has to be where when? If the answer is no to any of these questions, this book is for you. If you have ever been seriously ill, as I have, you realize that it's the little things: the family time, the unscheduled time, the laughs and talks, that, above all else, create an atmospher our children can thrive in. Dr. Rosenfeld and Nicole Wise bring it all into focus, and make us realize that by "doing it all" and "being it all", we are not helping our family, we are breaking down the fabrics that holds the best part of it together. This book must be read by every parent with a busy lifestyle. It's refreshing to know that we can stop hyper-parenting and start learning again to have spontaneity, relaxation and a place we can truly feel at home.
Rating:
Summary: The Return of Sanity to Parenting
Review: This book is a tonic for the harried, anxious souls of modern parents. Writing with passion, clarity, and conviction, the authors get to the heart of why we create frantic family schedules in our quest to be perfect parents. I'm afraid that too many parenting books make matters worse by raising the bar even higher for anxious parents who feel they can never do enough. This book shows how to set realistic standards for oneself as a parent, and to keep first things first in the lives of our children. Couldn't be more timely.
Rating:
Summary: The Return of Sanity to Parenting
Review: This book is a tonic for the harried, anxious souls of modern parents. Writing with passion, clarity, and conviction, the authors get to the heart of why we create frantic family schedules in our quest to be perfect parents. I'm afraid that too many parenting books make matters worse by raising the bar even higher for anxious parents who feel they can never do enough. This book shows how to set realistic standards for oneself as a parent, and to keep first things first in the lives of our children. Couldn't be more timely.
Rating:
Summary: Try It Again
Review: This is the second review I have attempted to write on this book. Maybe this time, it will get in. First, the book is excellent on getting back on track with your family. One of the most important things I'd like to stress, is combining wisdom of this author with two women who are parenting experts and their books: Nationally syndicated parenting expert and columnist, Jodie Lynn, for Mommy-CEO (Constantly Evaluating Others) 5 Golden Rules, much of the book (revised edition) is based on "family time" and not forgetting the little things - which is the new thought provoking change that Dr. Rosenfeld quietly shouts at us parents, and "Talk So Your Kids Will Listen," by author and columnist, Adele Faber, who also says, Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and get behind all actions. No one parenting book will ever have everything for EVERYONE. Parents must buy all three and really let the advice of all three authors sink into old habits and thinking patterns in order for the "NO!" change to take place. It's a do - or go nuts this summer kind of thing. Save yourself and your family mental stress by not only cutting outside activity time but also communicating the reasons in a way your children will agree with and understand. BUY ALL THREE TODAY AND GIVE THEM OUT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY - they'll love you for it and if not, they will by the time they've read all of the books.
Rating: 
Summary: Message could have been condensed to 10 pages or less.
Review: Those of you have read this book will appreciate the tremendous irony that a group of parents at my son's school are forming a study group to discuss this book. Given the level of enthusiasm, I read it and was very disappointed. Clearly the book has touched nerves with a lot of people, so I don't want to diminish it for people who actually found it helpful. It's written in a chatty "girl-friend" style and it does read quickly. However, it's like cotten candy - there is very little there. It is full of faulty assumptions about how people live, irrelevant (or peculiar) antedotes and while it reflects the authors' definite "political" view that we should all slow down, it seemed to do very little to help sort out the hows & whens. Readers should be aware that the book is really more like a 200 page essay on what's wrong with (mainly white) upper-middle class American families rather than a book on child development. In short, it is not so different from the Nurture Assumption and many of the other parenting books that the authors suggest we readers should consign to the dustbin. My copy will be joining those other books there.
Rating:
Summary: A stress management prescription for parents
Review: Whether you are feeling guilt for not enrolling your child in every activity offered, or exhaustion from an overfull schedule, this book is just what you need to help you find a good balance for yourself and your family.Hyper-parenting, as Dr. Rosenfeld refers to it, is on the rise, and yet our lives are busier than ever. If we feel the stress, we can believe our kids are experiencing it as well. Micromanaging every detail of our children's lives does not ensure a healthy happy childhood. But then what is the answer? The authors of THE OVERSCHEDULED CHILD take us on a journey throughout this book, showing us a reflection of ourselves, our families, and our society. And at the end of the journey, after much self-evaluation, they give us simple and effective ways to avoid the hyper-parenting syndrome. A must-read for any parent, educator, or care-giver, The Over-Scheduled Child is the stress management prescription for parents of all walks of life.
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