The Encouraging Parent: How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids and Start Teaching Them Confidence, Self-Discipline, and Joy - Softcover

Kennedy Ph.D., Rod Wallace

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0812933133 ISBN 13: 9780812933130

Publisher: Three Rivers Press, 2001

Synopsis

Would you like to end temper tantrums, sibling rivalry, and other unacceptable behavior without resorting to threats, shouting, or spanking?

Let Dr. Rod Kennedy show you how to become an Encouraging Parent.

Remember that time when you were down on your knees, holding out your arms, and shouting out encouragement as your toddler took those first steps? When your child stumbled and fell, you didn't shout, spank, or reprimand -- you smiled, soothed, encouraged. You motivated your child to succeed. You can recapture that positive and effective attitude and harness it to raise a confident, self-disciplined, and happy child. The first step is to realize that the problem isn't how to "fix" your child, it's to understand how your own attitudes and beliefs get in the way of effective parenting, then learn how to fine-tune your emotional and communication skills.

Based on his popular workshops, which have trained more than 100,000 parents, Dr. Kennedy's book contains a wealth of practical information on how to teach kids self-discipline. Topics include:

         ¸  A self-test to help pinpoint where you need to refine your parenting skills
         ¸  Establishing daily routines that are easy to remember-- and that will end the chaos
         ¸  Teaching kids to get along and resolve their own conflicts so you don't have to micromanage
         ¸  Real-life parenting lessons from the parents who attend Dr. Kennedy's workshops

This warm, empathetic, and practical guide will help you nurture your child's positive development and create the loving, supportive atmosphere all kids need to thrive.

About this title

Review

It's easy to get stuck in an unpleasant parenting rut--daily frustrations have a way of building walls between kids and parents that lead to ineffective communication and further frustrations. Sometimes an objective step back and a fresh set of reminders are just the ticket to get family life back on track.

A welcome combination of theory and practical suggestions, The Encouraging Parent first presents a general overview of typical parenting systems of punishment and reward. Examples like "If you make straight A's, I'll give you fifty dollars" and "You will sit here all night if it takes that long" may be embarrassingly familiar to some readers, but not to worry; author Rod Kennedy promises that he is out to break the cycle of blame for all involved.

He proceeds to do just that by showing surprisingly simple suggestions for discipline that is effective and loving at the same time. Practical ideas are listed with bullet points, followed by short explanations, a definite boon for busy parents who find their reading time to be limited. Lists cover topics like "verbal bombs to avoid," "nine characteristics of the emotionally mature parent," and personal traits of responsible people. Lots of real-life stories are included from the author's personal experiences, and these stories serve nicely to illustrate the 14 different communication skills Kennedy feels are necessary for good parenting. One short tale of his wife's bad day that is greeted with "start from the beginning and tell me everything," instead of "you think you had a bad day," is an easy lesson that can make a world of difference in an exhausted family. If you're ready to make a few positive changes at home, The Encouraging Parent is an excellent place to start. --Jill Lightner

About the Author

ROD WALLACE KENNEDY, Ph.D., M.Div., conducts workshops in parenting, conflict resolution, and cultural diversity throughout the country. The father of five, he lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

About this edition

• Publisher: Three Rivers Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0812933133
• ISBN 13: 9780812933130
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272