Raising a Self-Disciplined Child: Help Your Child Become More Responsible, Confident, and Resilient

by Robert B. Brooks, Sam Goldstein

Learn to raise a self-disciplined child who is confident, independent . . . and happy. Raising a Self-Disciplined Child is the groundbreaking book parents have been waiting for--a remarkably positive approach to a style of discipline that builds children up-from the acclaimed authors of Raising Resilient Children. Filled with realistic, practical strategies and sample scenarios, it shows you ways to teach children of any age, from preschool to adolescence, the value of self-control, self-reliance, and self-assurance--the all-important skills that will last a lifetime. Praise for Raising Resilient Children
“Practical and clear in its suggestions, direct and supportive in its tone, Raising Resilient Children is the perfect book for parents searching for a caring method to help their children grow into healthy, loving, and mature adults.”

--William Pollack, Ph.D., author of Real Boys “Brooks and Goldstein help mothers and fathers focus on their child's strengths, not on his or her weaknesses. The result is a happier, more resilient child.”
--Michael Thompson, Ph.D., author of i>Raising Cain

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Family, Self Help

608 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author named "Robert Brooks" on goodreads.

Reviews

[Michelle]

This book takes a while to get through since it isn't the most entertaining book I've ever read, but it has lots of great ideas and suggestions for parenting. I enjoyed being reminded of useful suggestions. The book talks a lot about helping the children develop problem solving skills and encouraging them to be part of finding solutions around the home.

[Mitzi Fox]

Best book on raising children that I've read (and I read a lot!) and the only one I'm putting on GoodReads.

Nutshell:
Natural consequences are the best.
My take: Give children responsibility and ownership.
Kids need to make mistakes so they realize they can handle life and are resourceful people. It's better they make mistakes when they're young and at home than away at college or living on their own. When confronted with a problem, ask your child "What *can* you do?" to encourage coming up with options. DON'T SOLVE EVERYTHING for your child.

Also see "Drive" by Daniel Pink (on my list) - people are motivated by: autonomy, mastery and relatedness/connection. The same is true for children. It goes hand-in-hand with "Raising A Self-Disciplined Child"

And see also the blog/website: Free Range Kids http://www.freerangekids.com/ by Lenore Skenazy

[VBergen]

This book has very valuable parenting advices, but it has so much fluff that I doubted if giving it only three stars. It describes therapy sessions with parents in detail, as in "mr. Xyz said this...we acknowledged what he said, and asked him this and that...". There should be an abridged version, concise, to the point :-/

[Gemma Harris]

Great read for teachers in helping students understand ways to problem solve and help create self discipline in children. Will be applying this to my teaching

[Heather]

I heard Dr. Brooks speak at The Learning and the Brain conference in SF this February, and I bought his book to see what insights it might give me as a high school teacher working with my students. I found it to be a very interesting read, with good anecdotes that illustrated the author's points well. The one thing that struck me as a bit odd was the way the authors explained their own thought process as they were counseling parents on how to work with their children. It made it feel almost like a how-to guide for parental counseling. None-the-less, I definitely came away more aware of my own responsibility in helping students become resilient and self-disciplined.

[Katie]

Very interesting. They sound like they're really good therapists. Rather than preach their philosophy to the reader, they get their points across by relating experiences with families they've helped. I'm trying some of the principles with my kids, and I can feel a difference.

[Meg]

Mostly relevant to school-aged children, this book focuses on problem-solving approaches to building self-control in children. A nice balance of examples and parenting advice. Lots of practical tips for building children's abilities to handle problems themselves.

[Aimée Hughes]

Excellent parenting book to help parents get away from the traditional punishment approach, which usually only temporary solves problems, and switch to collaborative problem solving approach, to help your children learn to problem-solve and become adults with confidence and good self-esteem.

[Harmony]

I enjoyed this book but I think I need to reread parts now that my daughter is older. Alot of it is not usable for young children. Re read I shall....

[mdamman]

I think its a good read. It gives a lot of examples and how he worked with that family. It opened my eyes to things that I can improve on as a parent.

[Alecia]

Have to admit, I didn't finish it. I skimmed through and was mostly encouraged that we're doing ok. But a very helpful book.

[Heather Gregory]

A good book with basic advice, but sometimes we all need a refresher course.

[Bakestar]

I liked this book. It had lots of case studies and emphasized engaging your child in the problem-solving process. According to the authors, children often come up with innovative solutions you wouldn't have thought of, or reveal underlying reasons for their behaviour that need to be addressed. They also suggested that children are more likely to follow rules if they help create them.