Rating: 
Summary: Another Diamond In The Rough Needing Its Final Polish
Review: This book is a potential diamond in the rough that needs polishing, like all the other "how to" books on parenting and character. It's a "basic course" on teaching character. But, I'll give you a heads up that will save you a huge amount of other reading. You will need to read the "companion book" of all these "how to" books in order to understand the sound philosophy behind answers to your kids' inevitable questions such as why character counts and how do we know what's right or wrong, good or evil, moral or immoral, ethical or unethical. I have found the best, perhaps only, companion book that answers all the questions is the one that explains the "whys" of the premier character teaching school in the world --- West Point. And the the name of this book whose easy to understand principles apply to any walk of life and any age group is "WEST POINT", by Norman Thomas Remick. It puts the needed "polish" on "RAISING CHILDREN OF CHARACTER" and makes your job easier. It will keep the Kindlon book 5 star in your thinking and understanding.
Rating: 
Summary: An easy, interesting read, but ultimately shallow
Review: This book is an outline of spoiled kids who overindulge in sex, drugs, disobedience and basic boredom. The author's answer is to push your kids harder, but not too hard....spend more time with your kids, eat dinner with your kids, pay attention to who their friends are, hold them accountable for their actions etc. Basic common sense. I was really put off by the idea that if the parent can't be around, they might think of hiring a good nanny to do the job for them. I might also add (all on my own, not in the book!) think about going to church regularly, check your child's homework everyday. Model good behavior. One parent might even consider a part time job or staying at home instead of both parents working full time. I know, a novel idea in this day and age. Try getting Parenting with Love and Logic---a great book with proven results that we have used with our 5 kids for years.
Rating: 
Summary: Have common sense, don't buy this book
Review: This book is an outline of spoiled kids who overindulge in sex, drugs, disobedience and basic boredom. The author's answer is to push your kids harder, but not too hard....spend more time with your kids, eat dinner with your kids, pay attention to who their friends are, hold them accountable for their actions etc. Basic common sense. I was really put off by the idea that if the parent can't be around, they might think of hiring a good nanny to do the job for them. I might also add (all on my own, not in the book!) think about going to church regularly, check your child's homework everyday. Model good behavior. One parent might even consider a part time job or staying at home instead of both parents working full time. I know, a novel idea in this day and age. Try getting Parenting with Love and Logic---a great book with proven results that we have used with our 5 kids for years.
Rating: 
Summary: Cautionary Advice about Spoiling Older Children and Teens
Review: This book is long on descriptions and diagnosis, and relatively brief on advice. Wealthy, professionally successful parents tend to make life too easy for their children while imposing high expectations about academics and sports. Such children are highly likely to worry too much, feel depressed, be sad, or feel pressure to be perfect. In general, these children fail to develop life skills necessary to deal with inevitable setbacks and challenges on their own. In frustration over their perceived lack of competence, many indulge in drugs, alcohol, and inappropriate sexual practices. Some misbehavior is designed to get attention from distracted parents. The prescription is that parents should set a good example, spend more time with their children (especially at dinner time), set limits so that their children will only take on challenges they are ready for, establish clear and consistent ways of enforcing limits, be caring, and help their kids take on greater, appropriate challenges as time passes. The seeds of the problem relate to the parents' unresolved conflicts about parenting roles. They want their kids to be happy, but haven't thought through what's needed. Having more and more unearned freedom and choice creates dissatisfaction. Being more and more competent provides engaged, meaningful flow experiences. The parents want to be too much of a pal, and not enough of a parent. To deal with this, Professor Kindlon encourages readers to think about the best things their parents did for them that are appropriate for their own children . . . and use those as models. Equally, parents should avoid overcompensating for what they disliked most about what their own parents did. The first part of the book describes the details of overindulgence and spoiling as they are practiced today. The second part looks at seven psychological states that can be perverted into something worse, and examines the way this occurs. The third part focuses on what to do. The book is built on Professor Kindlon's clinical experience as a psychologist, questionnaires from a convenience sample he examined, 50 in-depth interviews, and a literature review. The seven foundations of "deadly" syndromes are as follows: Pride leads to self-centeredness; wrath causes anger; envy causes being driven; sloth creates lack of motivation; gluttony leads to eating disorders; lust causes self-control problems; and greed leads to acting spoiled. Over 80 percent of the affluent 634 teens questioned reported problems in one or more of these areas. I thought there were two serious problems with this book. First, to find out how parenting turned out, don't you have to see how the lives of the youngsters end up? Reporting on this study is premature unless you only care about making the teen years more pleasant. Many people straighten up and fly right in their 20s who were a real mess as teens. Second, this book is so loose that it almost doesn't tell you anything. The average sermon contains more specific guidance than this book has in total. I compared the book to the more specific books I have read on teenaged obesity, learning to handle money, overcoming teenaged depression, and so forth. Each of those books is vastly more detailed and helpful. This book is like the Cliff's Notes version of a classic novel. I suspect that it will be most appealing to those who are most in denial about the idea that overindulgence for children is a bad idea. After you read this book, ask yourself where you had tough, but helpful, learning experiences that your children have not yet had. How can you help your children to duplicate those lessons today? Encourage all to climb the highest mountain that appeals to them!
Rating:
Summary: almost good enough
Review: This book touches on a subject but never gets past the surface. The content contains lots of interesting stories yet doesn't quite explain the reasons behind parents inability to set limits, to give consequences, and to be honest with children. I found these explanations fully explained, as one other reviewer noted in the recent book called "Hollow Kids" which is a more serious, well researched description.
Rating:
Summary: Reality Check
Review: Too Much of a Good Thing is a reality check for today's parents. It is based on the assumption that, as an overriding goal, parents want their child to mature into a happy adult. Building on this assumption it defines, in general terms, the attitude of "baby boomer" parenting and how it is associated with children's emotional and behavioral development. The book is based on the findings of the Parenting Practices of the Millennium, research compiled from middle to upper income families. This research was amassed from questionnaires involving over 650 teenagers and 1050 parents nationwide plus 50 personal interviews (several are included as references in the text) and combined with over twenty years of clinical psychological practice and personal experience. Simply stated, Too Much delves into the question: What parenting practices enhance habits of character?
People who have character are described as those who know who they are, they are centered, and they have the courage to be honest with themselves and others. Overtly they are charitable, compassionate, and emotionally intelligent. Kindlon examines how America's affluence has impacted the habits of life that shape our behavior. In a society that often appears focused on achievement and success in place of the development of a disciplined inner life, this book influences parents to think in terms of social consciousness.
The book is divided into three parts. The first describes this current age of indulgence analyzing the attitudes of parenting today and the psychological toolbox needed by children to cope in our world. The second part is the patterns of behavior exhibited by indulgence that are listed as the seven deadly syndromes: self-centeredness, anger, driven quality, not motivated, eating disorders, self-control problems, and spoiled behaviors. These syndromes are described in terms of manifestations and draw on the stories from different perspectives: children, parents, teachers, principals, and counselors that serves to give each syndrome multiple perspectives.
The last section of this book is advice to parents that cites research findings. How can we reach our goal of raising children to be happy? Some of the multifaceted indications of happiness in this exploration include being absorbed in meaningful activity, the pursuit of non-materialistic incentives, self-efficacy, self-esteem tied to a sense of personal control, and competence. Clear, achievable ideas are given as well as information on the dilemmas of parenting teenagers. This is a book that will make you think about what you really value as a parent, help you define your goals as connected to your actions, and perhaps, jolt you out of a false sense of complacency related to affluence today.
Rating:
Summary: Reality Check
Review: Too Much of a Good Thing is a reality check for today's parents. It is based on the assumption that, as an overriding goal, parents want their child to mature into a happy adult. Building on this assumption it defines, in general terms, the attitude of "baby boomer" parenting and how it is associated with children's emotional and behavioral development. The book is based on the findings of the Parenting Practices of the Millennium, research compiled from middle to upper income families. This research was amassed from questionnaires involving over 650 teenagers and 1050 parents nationwide plus 50 personal interviews (several are included as references in the text) and combined with over twenty years of clinical psychological practice and personal experience. Simply stated, Too Much delves into the question: What parenting practices enhance habits of character?
People who have character are described as those who know who they are, they are centered, and they have the courage to be honest with themselves and others. Overtly they are charitable, compassionate, and emotionally intelligent. Kindlon examines how America's affluence has impacted the habits of life that shape our behavior. In a society that often appears focused on achievement and success in place of the development of a disciplined inner life, this book influences parents to think in terms of social consciousness.
The book is divided into three parts. The first describes this current age of indulgence analyzing the attitudes of parenting today and the psychological toolbox needed by children to cope in our world. The second part is the patterns of behavior exhibited by indulgence that are listed as the seven deadly syndromes: self-centeredness, anger, driven quality, not motivated, eating disorders, self-control problems, and spoiled behaviors. These syndromes are described in terms of manifestations and draw on the stories from different perspectives: children, parents, teachers, principals, and counselors that serves to give each syndrome multiple perspectives.
The last section of this book is advice to parents that cites research findings. How can we reach our goal of raising children to be happy? Some of the multifaceted indications of happiness in this exploration include being absorbed in meaningful activity, the pursuit of non-materialistic incentives, self-efficacy, self-esteem tied to a sense of personal control, and competence. Clear, achievable ideas are given as well as information on the dilemmas of parenting teenagers. This is a book that will make you think about what you really value as a parent, help you define your goals as connected to your actions, and perhaps, jolt you out of a false sense of complacency related to affluence today.
Rating:
Summary: Good Advice
Review: While I liked his titles for the chapters, I didn't find this book very helpful or informative. What I was looking for was solutions, how to prevent, advice, and tips on how to keep toddlers, children, and teenagers from being materialistic, spoiled, or trapped in one the "seven deadly sins" he was talking about in the book. I felt the author gave too many examples about how kids may have fell in the materialistic trap and the interviews he had with teenagers didn't give me any infomation on how to keep from kids from being too overindulgent.
Rating:
Summary: This book didn't have the infomation I was looking for
Review: While I liked his titles for the chapters, I didn't find this book very helpful or informative. What I was looking for was solutions, how to prevent, advice, and tips on how to keep toddlers, children, and teenagers from being materialistic, spoiled, or trapped in one the "seven deadly sins" he was talking about in the book. I felt the author gave too many examples about how kids may have fell in the materialistic trap and the interviews he had with teenagers didn't give me any infomation on how to keep from kids from being too overindulgent.
|
