Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids: 20 Principles for Becoming the Parent your Child Needs

When a loving and respectful parent-child relationship is the foundation for parenting and discipline the result is well-behaved, thoughtful, and socially conscious children.

This book focuses on what parents can do, and more importantly how they can be with their children in order to create an atmosphere where children choose pro-social behaviors. The behaviors are not created from a place of fear or even traditional discipline, but from 20 simple principles parents can implement in a variety of circumstances from infancy to young adulthood. Following these principles parents can positively impact the behavior of their children, enhance the parent-child relationship, increase their parenting-esteem, and promote lifelong relational skills in their children. The principles come from the perspectives of children, and have an inherent simplicity that is focused on the parent-child relationship. Following these child-centered principles fosters parent-child relationships based in love and respect.

Dr. Jodi Mullen's book on parenting "freakishly well-behaved" children is a wonderful mix of insights, enlightenment and empowerment for parents. The format of 20 deceptively simple principles makes it easy to focus on each of these critical tools for all parents struggling to find their way (and who isn't?). Her approach involves sensible, reasonable and better still, achievable goals to pursue in the art and science of raising well-behaved, happy and healthy children. Parents may get lost in the day-to-day chores, schedules and to-do lists, and Jodi Mullen gives us a reminder of what is possible if we only slow down, pay attention, and give our children what they need from us. The principles include the importance of giving our children respect, truth, dependability, patience, developmentally appropriate limits and empathy, among other things. This book is unique in that it focuses on children's perspectives, rather than parents' need to have their children behave well. Dr. Mullen's use of anecdotes from both her clinical practice and her own family gives each of the principles anchoring points in real-life scenarios that make them very relevant and relatable for parents everywhere. Where was this book when I was starting out as a new parent?
Laura Hess Brown, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Development, SUNY Oswego

As a play therapist, I've technically learned all of these lessons before. But, as a stressed out, exhausted parent of three toddlers, this book reminded me how I sometimes struggle outside of the office with my own children. It inspired me to do better without making me feel bad about myself. Dr. Mullen is the smart, but funny and down to earth mom that we all need in our tribe.
Jennifer Taylor, LCSW, RPT-S