Between Parent and Child: Revised and Updated

by Haim G. Ginott

surgeon came into the operating room and before the anesthesiologist put us under, said, “I really don't have much training in surgery but I love my patients and I use common sense”? We would probably panic and run for our lives. But it's not that easy for children whose parents believe that love and common sense are enough. Like surgeons, parents, too, need to learn special skills to become competent in coping with the daily demands of children. Like a trained surgeon who is careful where he cuts, parents, too, need to become skilled in the use of words. Because words are like knives. They can inflict, if not physical, many painful emotional wounds. Where do we start if we are to improve communication with children? By examining how we respond. We even know the words. We heard our parents use them with guests and strangers. It is a language that is protective of feelings, not critical of behavior. What do we say to a guest who forgets

One of the best books on parenting