Raising Good Kids

Rating:
Summary: a condensed version of behavior and discipline approaches
Review: This book is one of the best I've read so far, for many reasons: it's concise, it provides developmental and age-specific information and offers plenty of ideas and surefire don't dos for each age group, from 18 months up to ten years. The book opens with a general discussion on the theory of discipline, and the author clearly believes discipline is more the art of teaching and training a child, rather than the act of punishment. But, don't be put off if you're a hard-liner on matching punishment w/your discipline techniques because the book has something for everyone. The chapter on Ages & Stages breaks down typical behavioral challenges by age group, and then offers a laundry list of different approaches to modify, eliminate or avoid the undesirable behavior(s). The information presented in this section is a tightly condensed version of the lengthier books also offered by this author ("Your One Year Old", "Your Two Year Old", etc.) I had a very difficult time getting through the book, "Your Two Year Old" as I felt the information was scattered and rather unorganized, but I did recognize much of the same detail presented in Raising Good Kids, without all the anecdotal fluff and commentary. In addition to the vastly insightful approach to discipline, Raising Good Kids also offers info on how children differ, various forms of punishment, sibling rivalry, and discipline in day care and nursery settings. As the mother of a challenging child I've read dozens of books on child rearing and found this to be one of the best. The paperback version is only 124 pages, so it's a breeze to get through. Obviously I can't say enough good things about this book. If you're struggling with your child, or having trouble finding a successful approach to discipline, this book is definitely worth the read.