Raising A Nonviolent Child

Rating:
Summary: life experience *is* data
Review: "Data" is only as good as its control group or collector. Life experience *is* data, and as a parent, you will offer what *works for you* to other parents.

Like Mr. Rosemond, I usually offer "personal perspectives" in the first person, not because I'm so self-centered that I think my own experience is all that matters, but because it's *my* perspective, from my own experiences. I can't project how a person will handle any given situation, and as long as *I'm* separate from *you*, we'll never have identical perspectives. We will, however, have similar experiences from time to time. Just as something someone has said to me will help me wade through my own muddle, I hope that others can draw on my ponderings when they need it.

As for parenting books in general, I read them for guidelines, evaluate those guidelines and use them as I see fit. Although not all of us are biological parents, we are almost always entrusted with *someone's* children at *some* point in our lives, and I do recommend Rosemond's book for preparing for such times. His suggestions for re-empowering the mothers provide tools for setting and maintaining our own personal boundaries among "children" of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: A Long Column
Review: "Data" is only as good as its control group or collector. Life experience *is* data, and as a parent, you will offer what *works for you* to other parents.

Like Mr. Rosemond, I usually offer "personal perspectives" in the first person, not because I'm so self-centered that I think my own experience is all that matters, but because it's *my* perspective, from my own experiences. I can't project how a person will handle any given situation, and as long as *I'm* separate from *you*, we'll never have identical perspectives. We will, however, have similar experiences from time to time. Just as something someone has said to me will help me wade through my own muddle, I hope that others can draw on my ponderings when they need it.

As for parenting books in general, I read them for guidelines, evaluate those guidelines and use them as I see fit. Although not all of us are biological parents, we are almost always entrusted with *someone's* children at *some* point in our lives, and I do recommend Rosemond's book for preparing for such times. His suggestions for re-empowering the mothers provide tools for setting and maintaining our own personal boundaries among "children" of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: life experience *is* data
Review: "Data" is only as good as its control group or collector. Life experience *is* data, and as a parent, you will offer what *works for you* to other parents.

Like Mr. Rosemond, I usually offer "personal perspectives" in the first person, not because I'm so self-centered that I think my own experience is all that matters, but because it's *my* perspective, from my own experiences. I can't project how a person will handle any given situation, and as long as *I'm* separate from *you*, we'll never have identical perspectives. We will, however, have similar experiences from time to time. Just as something someone has said to me will help me wade through my own muddle, I hope that others can draw on my ponderings when they need it.

As for parenting books in general, I read them for guidelines, evaluate those guidelines and use them as I see fit. Although not all of us are biological parents, we are almost always entrusted with *someone's* children at *some* point in our lives, and I do recommend Rosemond's book for preparing for such times. His suggestions for re-empowering the mothers provide tools for setting and maintaining our own personal boundaries among "children" of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: A Long Column
Review: The mother of a 4 year old boy and infant daughter concerned about the level of violence in television programs and toys directed toward children, I bought Rosemond's "Raising a Nonviolent Child" to learn how to lessen the impact of such violence on my kids. Rosemond's book is written in an easy-to-read manner, but ends up long on chat (like an overly long column) and short on cites. Nevertheless, Rosemond's opinion on methods of parenting and discipline, as he has shown in other successful books like Parent Power, is worth something standing alone. An emphatic reminder that we, as parents, are the first line of defense against the violence marketed to children, Rosemond's book does a nice job discussing the importance of teaching children personal, task and social responsibility. His ideas regarding limitations to be set on video games, computer use and television are also quite helpful. One need be neither Judeo-Christian nor an arch conservative to see the value of some of Rosemond's views on parenting however, and it would have been nice not to have to wade through Rosemond's rather strident (and often offensively presented)political beliefs and his personal religious beliefs to get to his larger point regarding the benefits of authoritative, as opposed to authoritarian or permissive parenting. I would recommend people buy Parent Power, which covers much of the same ground and is available in paperback -- and skip this latest book which doesn't add much that is new to Rosemond's previous body of work.

Rating:
Summary: A Long Column
Review: The mother of a 4 year old boy and infant daughter concerned about the level of violence in television programs and toys directed toward children, I bought Rosemond's "Raising a Nonviolent Child" to learn how to lessen the impact of such violence on my kids. Rosemond's book is written in an easy-to-read manner, but ends up long on chat (like an overly long column) and short on cites. Nevertheless, Rosemond's opinion on methods of parenting and discipline, as he has shown in other successful books like Parent Power, is worth something standing alone. An emphatic reminder that we, as parents, are the first line of defense against the violence marketed to children, Rosemond's book does a nice job discussing the importance of teaching children personal, task and social responsibility. His ideas regarding limitations to be set on video games, computer use and television are also quite helpful. One need be neither Judeo-Christian nor an arch conservative to see the value of some of Rosemond's views on parenting however, and it would have been nice not to have to wade through Rosemond's rather strident (and often offensively presented)political beliefs and his personal religious beliefs to get to his larger point regarding the benefits of authoritative, as opposed to authoritarian or permissive parenting. I would recommend people buy Parent Power, which covers much of the same ground and is available in paperback -- and skip this latest book which doesn't add much that is new to Rosemond's previous body of work.

Rating:
Summary: mostly more of the same
Review: This latest in a series of books by Mr.Rosemond is a bit disappointing, especially for long-time readers of his other books and columns. I find the re-run anecdotes and columns tedious, the writing a tad sophomoric. The anecdote of his "call of nature" in an Alabama school restroom was just one example, and one I would have liked to have been spared.

The topic of kids and violence is certainly one on the minds of most parents. And it is an easy read, and entertaining. I would have liked to have seen less personal anecdotes and more of the real research and studies that are out there; that he seemed to gloss over, in favor of levity.

The book does contain useful information, especially towards the end. I had the thought that if he BEGAN again, with the ending of this book to begin a new one and fleshed it out a bit more, it would have more of an impact. This is a good basic book, but I would have liked it to have been a bit more scholarly.