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How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too!
by
Sal Severe
Dr. Sal Severe established himself as a leading childcare and parenting expert with his phenomenally successful How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too! Now he focuses on raising children between the ages of three and six. Based on Dr. Severes philosophy that childrens behavior often reflects that of their parents, this book teaches readers how to better handle a host o...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
June 1st 2004
by Penguin (Non-Classics)
(first published 2002)
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Community Reviews
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242)
Jessie
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Parents who don't want to yell or hit their kids, but want the kids to behave
Shelves:
parenting-books
This is a Positive Discipline book.
First off, I love the concept in the title of this book. Children learn from us, they copy our behaviors and our attitude. If we yell at them, they will learn to yell. I love that the author addresses the parents, and the parents' behavior, as a way to get better behavior out of our kids.
I enjoy how he explains one example after another where, on the surface it may seem like your child is intentionally being disobedient or not listeni...more
First off, I love the concept in the title of this book. Children learn from us, they copy our behaviors and our attitude. If we yell at them, they will learn to yell. I love that the author addresses the parents, and the parents' behavior, as a way to get better behavior out of our kids.
I enjoy how he explains one example after another where, on the surface it may seem like your child is intentionally being disobedient or not listeni...more
This is a pretty straightforward guide to the positive-reinforcement parenting style. It's easy to read and full of usable suggestions (though mysteriously Jesus-oriented). I will probably give it another look once my fetus reaches toddlerhood.
I'm undecided about the positive-reinforcement style explained in this book. On one hand, it's clearly better than screaming and punishing. I love that Severe emphasizes, over and over, that parents should model love, respect and calm. On ...more
I'm undecided about the positive-reinforcement style explained in this book. On one hand, it's clearly better than screaming and punishing. I love that Severe emphasizes, over and over, that parents should model love, respect and calm. On ...more
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It was a decent book, with some good principles. But, at the end of the day I felt like it was way more common sense (don't yell at your kids, be consistent, tell your preschooler to use their words...) than it was really practical solutions. Even the places that proposed to be practical didn't go into great detail. For example, the section on what to do if you have a time-out protester was only a couple of paragraphs, yet the chapter on time-outs was the longest in the book.
That sai...more
That sai...more
So far, this has helped me understand better what on earth is going on in my 4-year old's head. Honestly, this is like taking a moment during the day to refresh, it's so motivating. After reading a chapter or two, I can face my boys with a more controlled and understanding attitude. It's been eye-opening.
Carrie
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone wanting to understand child behavior better.
Recommended to Carrie by:
no one...Amazon pehaps. :)
This book gets 3.5 stars for me. I wish Goodreads gave you the option to do half stars. :)The author was very encouraging, (recognizing that nothing works 100% of the time, and parents make mistakes even with good intentions). Most of the material wasn't very new to me, but great reminders none the less. The section on time-out I really liked. I have always done the "Super Nanny" method of time out. This author has a slightly different approach and I liked it. I can see how, for me...more
This book started my downward slide with Dana... it's an incredible book by a child psychologist/mother identifying tricks to steer your child's behavior away from "me me me" to well rounded and polite. I told Dana that it was neat that many of the things the author recommended were things that I'd seen her do (it was true at the time). She interpreted that to mean that I was accusing her of being a bad parent and didn't want anything to do with it. My philosophy is that the more yo...more
Made me more aware of how my own behavior affects that of my kids. I think I knew this but it helps to be reminded. Helped me focus on phrasing things positively ("use your words" instead of "stop whining" or "no hitting.")I also like the examples of exactly what to say in certain situations. I think the biggest take-home message for me was to use positive reinforcement more often and be consistent in noticing when the kids are playing well, sharing, listening, etc....more
I am ambivalent about this book. On the one hand, I appreciate the common sense, loving principles this method is based on. On the other hand, I disagreed with several of the more specific examples that were meant to highlight these principles.
Even though the author claims not to approve of labeling children, he uses labeling all the time in his examples. ("You are a polite child." "You are a quiet child," etc.) Saddling a child with the "Quiet one" la...more
Even though the author claims not to approve of labeling children, he uses labeling all the time in his examples. ("You are a polite child." "You are a quiet child," etc.) Saddling a child with the "Quiet one" la...more
This book is helpful and funny! "A surefire way to send a room full of preschoolers into hysterics, is to say the word 'poopyface'. It will hurl them to the floor with laughter." In addition potty talk, lying, and whining, this book addressed the basics of discipline as teaching. Why is my child driving me crazy? What can I do to make it stop? Dr. Severe feels sad for the parents who haven't figured out how fun preschoolers can be because they haven't figured out the tools to eliminate...more
A lot of very basic common sense reiteration, that seems necessary from time to time as a mother of three (the third being a VERY strong-willed little guy)! This book gives many great reminders on values and offers up examples that every parent can relate to. it's clear that the author does not have a personal agenda to force upon his literary audience, which is refreshing. I find myself referring back to it often and have utilised a few of the suggestions already....which are working marvellous...more
This book was really helpful to me as a mom with little kids. This book is designed to help you learn how to interact better with 3-6 year olds. He gives lots of positive strategies to use - both on yourself and on your children - to improve behavior. There are lots of suggested activities and rewards and sample charts that make it really easy to get started. When I remember to use Severe's suggested techniques, our home really is a lot more peaceful. It's amazing.
This book was extremeley helpful at a time when I needed it! The author effectively explains the inner workings of 3-6 year olds and I found this insightful. I also learned new strategies to modify and positively influence my three year old's behavior. I tried some of the methods right away and I am starting to see some results. I plan to implement techniques like sticker charts in the near future. I recommend this for other parents who are feeling challenged by their preschooler. Thanks to Robi...more
The title of this book says it all. Common sense stuff that every person that hangs around kids should read... not just parents. I hope my two (almost three) kids get the benefits possible by my (and Aaron's) abiding by this books ideas. Be patient. Be consistent. Don't expect perfection. Have fun.
A must read for every parent of little ones, or parent to be. Loving, intelligent, logical, reality based, positive discipline strategies. Beautifully done. Most importantly, it works, and everyone's dignity is still intact.
I read this book a while ago, but I remember that I got several decent ideas that we used on Isaiah from the book. I will be reading it again soon as Josiah gets older and reaches preschooler status.
I quite liked this book. It is written in such a way that each chapter can be read separately... so you don't have to read the whole book to get the message... you can read it on an as needed basis. The biggest thing that I got from it was a desire to focus more on positive parenting. Punishment should be rarely used and if you use something like say time-out many times a day... it is simply not working. He teaches how to use more positive techniques and punishment only in rare occassions. ...more
It had a few good ideas, and the authors were very encouraging (recognizing that nothing works 100% of the time, and parents make mistakes even with good intentions, and it's okay). But most of the material wasn't very new to me. The section on time-out has some concrete ideas for time-out that were helpful.
This is not a fun read. It is a slog-- one of those parenting books that makes everything seem difficult, technical, laborious. Not Fun.
That's a shame because-- really-- there's some fine information presented. But the style is so heavy handed that it feels like a visit to the principal's office.
There is a good section on anger management, another good section on knowing your preschooler-- but beyond that I'm just left with a dusty stressed impression. Ugh, read something i...more
That's a shame because-- really-- there's some fine information presented. But the style is so heavy handed that it feels like a visit to the principal's office.
There is a good section on anger management, another good section on knowing your preschooler-- but beyond that I'm just left with a dusty stressed impression. Ugh, read something i...more
Great advice, I needed it, I hope I can stay on top of it. It's working so far!
I liked this book so much that I had to purchase my own copy. I know I will forget some of the stuff in the future when I have to deal with both kids.
I enjoyed how easy it was to read and helpful. It gave me some very good ideas on how to deal with my very challanging child.
Love them though.
I enjoyed how easy it was to read and helpful. It gave me some very good ideas on how to deal with my very challanging child.
Love them though.
Three words: IT IS WORKING!
This book is written so that you can skip ahead to sections you need help with, and even suggests which basic ones to focus on if you are in real trouble. Some of the info repeats for this reason, so you won't miss out if you skip.
Turns out I'm not behaving myself very well...
Turns out I'm not behaving myself very well...
As my friend has said, there aren't many new ideas in this book. I do, however, like how the author presents his ideas. To start with each chapter is fairly self contained so you can kind of jump to the chapters that most apply to you and your situations. Each idea is presented with appearantly real-life situations (including his own experiences) which helps you to know how to apply them. And he clearly states that not everything works for everyone.
obviously, i am seeking a little parenting guidance.this book really gives the low-down on the whole toddler experience, and how to handle those "oh, so pleasant" parts of toddler hood that tend to drive you to the brink of a nervous breakdown.for me, any book that provides a structured step-by-step plan that makes sense and isn't to complicated to follow deserves some high praise. this is a good read for struggling parents looking for good answers.
Pretty good parenting book, strategies not too different from others I've read. It's very repetitive though. Found myself flipping through/skipping a lot.
By the time I finish this book, I will no longer have a preschooler, which is in no way a reflection of the quality of the book. In fact, I think this book is very practical, and unlike many parenting books, has very useful advice. If only there were less fiction books in the world, I might get around to finishing more nonfiction.
This definitely read like a text book and I found it very helpful with great insight and tips on how to handle your toddler particulary how to react when they are acting out. Now if only I could get my husband to read it too!
A must read for all parents with little ones who challenge them and make the parents in turn act badly.
A must read for all parents with little ones who challenge them and make the parents in turn act badly.
Christinekimball
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who has preschoolers and feels like they don't know what they are doing
I thought this book had a lot of good ideas in it. There was so much information though that I had a hard time remembering what I was supposed to be doing to be a better parent. I really liked that there were ideas of things that I could change about myself instead of just assuming that it was all my kids fault.
This book rings of Truth. It teaches the reader how to live so that he/she will raise kind and considerate children. In addition to changing your children's lives, it will change yours as well. Making us each into better individuals. A great read for parents and nonparents alike.
This is an excellent book. I enjoyed it so much that I listened to it a couple of times.
I love the tip about whispering to your child to get his attention when he is distracted and does not hear you (rather than raising your voice). I was amazed when I tried this and it worked.
I love the tip about whispering to your child to get his attention when he is distracted and does not hear you (rather than raising your voice). I was amazed when I tried this and it worked.
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