Parents Do Make a Difference: How to Raise Kids with Solid Character, Strong Minds, and Caring Hearts - Softcover

Borba Ed.D., Michele; Borba, Michele

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0787946052 ISBN 13: 9780787946050

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 1999

Synopsis

For Teachers and Parents of Children to Age 12

Finally, a book that shows you how to teach kids the eightindispensable skills-self-confidence, self-awareness,communication, problem solving, getting along, goal setting,perseverance, and empathy-they'll need for living confident, happy,and productive lives. Filled with step-by-step advice, practicalideas, and real-life examples, Parents Do Make a Difference putsfield-tested tools into the hands of every parent and teacher whowants their children to succeed.

"The fact is this may well be the only book you'll ever need onraising great children."--from the Foreword by Jack Canfield,coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul

About this title

Review

In 1998, a fierce debate was sparked by Judith Rich Harris's The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do: Parents Matter Less Than You Think and Peers Matter More, a fairly scholarly book that posited, as clearly indicated by the subhead, the radical theory that children are more influenced by peers and siblings than they are by their parents. Parents Do Make a Difference, by Michele Borba, Ed.D., has clearly been marketed as a rebuttal. The title alone is a kind of bolster to parents' sagging self-esteem.

Once you open the book, though, it's just as clear that, marketing aside, the book was not actually written as part of the parents vs. peers debate, which it has absolutely nothing to do with. Nor is it a scholarly work, in the vein of Harris's book. The original title of this book was probably something like "The Eight Skills of Raising Successful Children." These simple skills, which Borba (author of 36 other educational publications) has researched and workshopped across the country, then implemented in the curriculum of three elementary schools, are commonsensical, feel-good affirmations for parents and kids. Borba uses lots of lists: the aforementioned eight skills, "four steps to developing positive self-beliefs," "four steps to enhancing social competence," and so on. The "success tips" and affirmations are pretty straightforward, as with this suggested "pillowgram": "Slip a message under your child's pillow. 'Kevin, I loved looking at your drawings today. You are so artistic! Sleep tight! Love, Dad.'" These are fine, basic self-esteem builders; unfortunately, they can sometimes veer too much on the cloying side. But for parents who want to help their children develop the eight skills (self-confidence, communication, getting along, perseverance, self-awareness, problem solving, goal setting, and caring), it should be of significant help.

From the Back Cover

The Blueprint for Raising Happy, Decent, and Successful Kids

Finally, a book that shows you how to teach kids the eight indispensable skills―self-confidence, self-awareness, communication, problem solving, getting along, goal setting, perseverance, and empathy―they'll need for living confident, happy, and productive lives. Filled with step-by-step advice, practical ideas, and real-life examples, Parents Do Make a Difference puts field-tested tools into the hands of every parent and teacher who wants their children to succeed.

"The fact is this may well be the only book you'll ever need on raising great children."
―from the Foreword by Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul®

"This book will be a boon for parents, teachers, and anyone else who wants to make an enduring difference in a child's life."
―Thomas Lickona, author of Educating for Character

"A must-read, user-friendly collection of stories, facts, and practical suggestions that will help parents who want their children to become competent, confident, and contributing adults."
―Jane Bluestein, author of Parents, Teens and Boundaries and The Parent's Little Book of Lists: Dos and Don'ts of Effective Parenting

"I hope this book finds its way into homes all over the country. I know that the strategies, ideas, and activities it provides can make a tremendous difference in the lives of our children."
―Thomas Armstrong, author of Awakening Your Child's Natural Genius and In Their Own Way

About this edition

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0787946052
• ISBN 13: 9780787946050
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272