A-C-T Like A Kid And T-H-I-N-K Like A Parent

by Katherine Shears

Just for kicks, have you ever wondered what your parents really want from you in life? Is it you, or do your parents want you to have no real fun? On any given day, do you want to make your parents proud of you and still do what makes you feel really happy within yourself? Of course you do! But the real question has always been, and still is…how? How can we actually get this done? Well, with A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent , a.k.a "the child-part consoler", you will get past common misunderstandings by learning how to truly talk, hear, and listen to your parents, guardians or caregivers instead of feeling like you have to run to friends to find some sense of acceptance, understanding, and real connection. In this book, chock-full of questions and answers gotten directly from the source, you’ll learn what your parents, guardians or caregivers really expect of you—and maybe you’ll even find out how to explain to them what you really expect from them ! Not that this book could ever replace a parent, because it can not. But when it comes to openly communicating certain key ideas, this book comes really close. This tell-all guide contains lots of enlightening explanations and helpful answers to many common kid questions A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is an intro to the secret knowledge of adults which is a set of informations that is mainly covered in the book entitled Surrogate A.K.A. Get Your Mind Right , and even more thoroughly covered in the book The Secret Knowledge Of Adults . While this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is intended for kids 10 and up, the info in this book is beneficial and useful to the intelligent kid parts in all of us. Yes, this means you too. The information in this book will help you and yours to start to see your parents, not as the enemy, but as the caring human beings they really are, and take the first step toward family unity, understanding, growth, success, and happiness! Both you and your parents really deserve this, and with this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent , you and your parents can actually achieve this.

192 pages, Paperback

Published June 29, 2017

Reviews

[Tariya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for children both young and old, A-C-T Like a Kid AND T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent explains what parents are thinking so kids can make better decisions, improve their relationships with their parents, and avoid the dreaded “no” when they ask their parents for something. This guide is separated into nine parts, which are further divided into shorter chapters that focus on specific topics about parenting. The book begins by summarizes the goals of parenting, then progresses on to the importance of trust in the parent-child relationship. It concludes by examining the different ways kids can take care of themselves to make their parents happy with them, from doing chores to getting good grades, to eating well and communicating effectively.

A-C-T Like a Kid AND T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent is founded on a passion for children and parents to participate in healthy relationships with each other. The writers, C. S. Whitehurst and Katherine Shears, have taken on the challenge of understanding the perspective of children--especially those who are frustrated with their parents--and writing to them. Whitehurst and Shears address parenting topics that children would be most interested in and answer the questions that children have but don’t know to whom or how to ask. The writers speak directly to their readers by using the second person point of view throughout the entire book, and they use language that is easily accessible to kids. They both encourage kids to do things the right “way,” but they are also firm in reminding kids that their parents want the best for their kids, so they should listen to their parents.

Even though this book is written for kids, the amount of information covered is overwhelming, and it’s sometimes difficult to see how the different sections work together. At times, the language could be more focused, and the overall effectiveness of the book would have been improved with more concrete examples or narratives. However, children who are trying to improve their relationships with their parents will find A-C-T Like a Kid AND T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent a useful resource to understand what behaviors will make their parents happy, and, thus, reach the ultimate goal of getting what they want or being more understanding if their parents say “no” to them. While kids may be reading this so they can get what they want from their parents, the means of getting there--through modifying their behavior and adjusting their attitudes--are still good practices which will improve their relationships with their parents anyway. The writers give excellent, parent-approved advice to kids, encouraging them to show humility to their parents, communicate directly and honestly with their parents about what they want or how they feel, and making wise decisions regardless of what their friends are doing and saying or deferring to their parents when they are unsure of what to do.

Parents will be pleased that A-C-T Like a Kid AND T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent emphasizes how the main responsibility of parents is to do what’s best for their children, which sometimes means they need to deny their children of the things they want to do, especially if it goes against ensuring that their children are safe. Explaining the challenges of being a parent will hopefully help children to be more willing to behave appropriately and work together with their parents.

Even though A-C-T Like a Kid AND T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent has the secrets for kids to get what they want from their parents, parents will also be able to benefit from their kids reading this book. Overall, it is a guide for both parties to engage in a more cooperative relationship. Recommended rating 3 out of 5 stars.

[April Pulliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent, by C.S. Whitehurst and Katharine Shears, is a guide written expressly for young people entering an especially trying time in their young lives. The authors present advice for many situations teens find typically stressful and confusing. Teen readers receive help with important life skills and will find a strong emphasis placed on the necessity of demonstrating responsibility, ways of appropriately showing and earning respect, and, ultimately, getting what they want. The authors have created a valuable tool for both preteens and teens and their parents to share during the throes of the teenage years.

Parents, guidance counselors, and classroom teachers will welcome the authors’ descriptions of a parent’s feelings for his or her children. They closely examine the way parents view others who bring harm to their children and the automatic distrust parents have with others who have the potential to hurt their children. I was quite moved that the authors’ description of the way parents desire to not have their children hurt includes the child hurting himself--self-destructive behavior. As a parent, I find this difficult to express strongly enough and truly appreciate the authors’ choice to include this aspect of parenting in the book.

The authors tackle a very difficult topic with the question of how preteens feel about their parents. Young people often have mixed emotions about how their parents feel about them. Whitehurst and Shears emphasize that parents from all walks of life draw upon the experiences of their past to help them raise their children. The authors help teen readers realize that parents’ styles of discipline, decision-making skills, and leniency or level of strictness can largely be based on their own upbringings.

The only aspect of the authors’ advice in which I felt any lacking was the area of bullying. This is such a relevant and all-consuming topic for so many teens across the country right now. Some parents, like myself, find we are at a loss as to finding more or different ways to explain the ins and outs of dealing with bullying behavior. In addition, many of us feel that our words, after a while, fall on deaf ears. I would like to have seen additional advice on bullying from a parent’s perspective.

Trustworthiness is a huge topic for the authors. They emphasize to teen readers the value in setting the stage now in order to blossom into adults who can be trusted by others. Whitehurst and Shears are realistic regarding teens’ tendencies to be dishonest or to be lured into questionable behavior. The authors work diligently to help teens understand that parents expect and appreciate directness and forthright behavior.

I have to give A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent 4 out of 5 stars. For parents looking to drive home the points they find they are unable to voice on their own, this book is a gem. Parents, teachers, and counselors need to add this work their repertoire when compiling materials for addressing teen angst. The authors have worked purposefully to keep the text readable, relatable, and relevant.

[David Gunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Act like a Kid, Think like a Parent by Katherine Shears and C. S. Whitehurst
Do you struggle to stay on good terms with your parents? Do you get into trouble even when you have done exactly what has been asked of you? Guess what? It is not that you did what was asked of you but how you did it. Do you often think your parents do not like you? Would you like a few days of being genuinely cordial with your parents? How nice would life be if you never got the old, “I’ll think about it”? That almost always leads to a ‘no’, right? Would you like to learn how to talk, hear and listen to your parents without ending up in a shouting match that just ruins everyone’s mood?
Katherine Shears and C. S. Whitehurst give insight into the expectations from both sides of the aisle. This book teaches children how to communicate their own expectations. They also learn the why of their parents’ actions and words. This book teaches them to be proper children now so that they can be proper parents and adults in the future. From this book, they will also learn how to talk to their parents in a way that gets them exactly what they want every time, without all the whining and manipulation.
Parenting is a daunting task. No book can possibly prepare anyone for parenting. There are surprises every day. Books will always give insight into what parenting might be like but they are very general guidelines and not in any way specific to a child. For the most part, parenting is just trial and error until something works. Only one thing is common in parenting, the visceral need to protect. Parents will protect their children from harm by all means. Sometimes they will be protecting the child from themselves. At this point, the children will often clash with their parent. The parents become, ‘no fun at all’ or ‘ruiner of life’. ‘Act like a Kid, Think like a Parent’ opens a portal to what parents really think of their children. With this book, children will no longer look at their parents as enemies but as caring and loving humans with their best interests at heart.
Act like a Kid, Think like a Parent has been written for the 10 and up crowd. It is at this stage that parent-child relationships start getting strained. The tone of the book is friendly and conversational. The book is written in simple language, which is appealing on the target audience. It is a well-written account of parental expectations in an authoritative but still friendly voice.
The attention span of a ten-year-old child is very short. They might drop this book before getting to the most important parts. The book could do well with more breaks in the middle and maybe giving real-world stories to illustrate the points. The tone of writing also gets a little condescending in some parts. However, these do not take away from the important subject of this book. It is an important tool for cohesive parent-child relationships.

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...


A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent is a nonfiction / self-help book aimed at, surprisingly, kids. The book talks about why parents do certain things, and help kids understand their parents behavior. In that viewpoint, it’s quite unique. I’ve read several books for parents on how to understand their kids, and I’m sure it’s a common enough subject in nonfiction books, but to have it the other way around? That was new to me.

The book gives key insights to kids in ways that are easy to understand for how they can talk to their parents, and actually hear what their parents have to say, to understand why sometimes parents say “no”, even though in the kids’ viewpoint, that “no” may seem very unjust.

I enjoyed reading the book, and I’m sure it will be really helpful for kids. However, it’s quite long and sometimes quite complicated, so it’s not for very young kids. The kids have to be a little older before they’ll understand the content of the book.