Answering the 8 Cries of the Spirited Child: Strong Children Need Confident Parents

by Dave Arp, Claudia Arp

Besides feeling ready to pull their hair out, parents of spirited children are often convinced that their spirited child would behave better if only Mom or Dad were smarter, wiser or more patient! In their new book on"difficult" children, child development experts Claudia and David Arp remind readers that there's no such thing as a Super Parent.

Having a spirited child can make parenting more intense and sometimes overwhelming, but you can begin to recognize the eight most common cries for help and what they really "Look at me!" "Did I do good?" "You're not listening!" "Let me do it my way!" "You can't make me anymore!" "I hate you!" "I can do it myself!" and "I am a big kid already!" The Arps -- with humor, compassion, insights from Scripture, and the latest in research -- show you ways to develop win-win strategies for nurturing your not-so-compliant child. Help just arrived.

Genres: Parenting

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Just okay.

I liked that the book took a non-accusatory approach to the issue, but I found that much of the advice given directly conflicted with another book I read recently ("Unconditional Parenting") which resonated with me more than this one.

It's not a bad read, and gives some good concrete suggestions, but it just didn't fit with what I see. (I also found a lot of suggestions that didn't apply to a 4-year-old who can't reason yet.)

[The Smiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book because I really enjoyed "Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic" by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.

I really liked listening to this audiobook as well. (It always makes me feel better when I hear about parents who have had "moments" worse than mine.)

[Monica]

This is an on going read for me. With a son who is my 'strong-willed' child. I usually pick it up when I'm having a difficult day with him. This surprisingly has been less and less due to the suggestions in the book. So maybe one day, I won’t need to finish it!