Six-Point Plan: for Raising Happy, Healthy Children

Discusses a plan for child rearing based on authority, responsibility, and respect, and emphasizes the importance of limiting television viewing time

Psychologist and syndicated columnist Rosemond ( Parent Power! ) asserts that rearing children can be "relatively easy and enjoyable" if parents follow his advice: take care of your marriage first, then the kids; expect children to obey and they will; make children accept responsibility for their behavior and for household chores; say no to your child and you will build character; restrict toys--too many will limit a youngster's imagination; and keep television-viewing to a minimum or youths will become passive and won't develop an interest in reading. Each chapter includes questions from parents, with Rosemond's replies. He is dogmatic ("I don't believe there's any justification for letting a preschool child watch any television at all"), prone to psychobabble ("give yourself permission to be creatively selfish") and excessively cute (instead of using the word "no" he writes about "Vitamin N"). Nonetheless, the book succeeds in presenting fresh, reasonable strategies that should help parents to resolve family conflicts and raise well-adjusted children.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.