Don't Be Afraid To Discipline: The Commonsense Program for Low-Stress Parenting That *Improves Kids' Behavior in a Matter of Days *Stops Naggling and ... Relationship *Creates Lasting Results

by Ruth Peters

Discipline is not a four-letter word.

As a respected child psychologist and mom with more than 20 years' experience, Dr. Ruth Peters knows that kids can be manipulative--and she offers parents a positive, no-nonsense approach to bringing about family harmony.
Kids know exactly what to do when their parents relinquish authority--take advantage! Don't Be Afraid to Discipline focuses on several ineffective parenting styles that kids thrive on, such as the emotionally needy parents or the happiness-seeking parent. Dr. Peters also helps parents identify which tactics their children like to use best, whether it's provoking parental guilt or pitting Mom against Dad. Don't Be Afraid to Discipline helps parents avoid these common pitfalls by establishing clear, consistent, fair rules for both themselves and their kids. There are no surprises and no complaints, because the kids know exactly what will happen if they misbehave.
The book features behavior management charts tailored for elementary middle and high schoolers, information on attention deficit disorder, specific advice on the special disciplinary problems of single parents and stepfamilies, and a frank discussion about children who are seriously troubled. Don't Be Afraid to Discipline is a welcome approach to child misbehavior for weary parents in need of simple, direct answers.

Genres: Parenting

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Sunny]

Interesting little short story about disciplining children: here are the best bits:

In his book The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth, Dr. M. Scott Peck notes that "discipline is the basic set of tools we require to solve life's problems. Without discipline we can solve nothing, and with some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems."

Although they won't admit it, kids want limits, because limits in the home often provide the only security that children experience. Kids need predictability—they need to know what's going to happen next, what positive consequences will occur if they work hard, and what discomfort they will have to endure if they slack off. Parents who are on opposite ends of the spectrum-either overpermissive or irrationally strict-cause children to guess at the consequences of their behavior.

In my practice I have found that parenting as a benevolent dictator (kindly letting your children know that they have a vote, but that you are the final decision maker), rather than parenting as a "democracy" (often a free-for-all), to be the most effective manner of teaching children frustration tolerance and self-control.

A child in a stepfamily has to learn the ropes of at least three different households the original nuclear family, the single parent home, and now sharing her parent with a person whom she might not even like.

[Lou Dobbs]

Didn't read yet

[Mary Kinietz]

Ages 7-16