Lee Canter's Assertive Discipline for Parents

I'm a single mother of three boys ages 10, 8 and 6. I've been told I was a softy and I had great children who needed more guidance and discipline. This book is great. The price too.

I have read several "discipline" books with many more on my nightstand. This is by far one of the best books for all ages, from toddlers to teens. The book is easy to read (1-2 hours at the most), gives great examples and has already inspired me to take charge of my parenting with my almost 4 yr old twin boys. I can certainly see it's effectiveness into the teen years.The Canter's give you an overview of "being assertive" and ineffective communication. Then they keep it simple by giving you in one short chapter the tools most parents will need to get results - speak assertively, use nonverbal cues, utilize the broken record technique for arguers, and praise when behavior is appropriate. The next couple chapters suggest how to back up your words with actions and lay down the law, including some examples of "extreme" measures people have taken. Each chapter supplies examples and a one page summary at the end.The rest of the book gives great ideas for enforcing positive behavior, working with 2 or more children, changing behavior at school, and working with spouses and ex-spouses. There are examples situations for working parents, babysitters, and single parents. There is a question and answer section of the most "what if?" and "but.." questions, a long problem/consequence example chapter and worksheets for disciplinary plans in various situations. I highly recommend this book as one of the first to read. I really like the way they give suggestions, but don't treat them as the only way to do things. The authors acknowledge the fact that some children definitely need professional help and that the professional advice comes first. And the fact that positive reinforcement is highly emphasized makes it a well rounded, easy to implement discipline strategy.

Assertive Discipline For Parents is an excellent book. It's not a very long book that will take you weeks, or even months to read, and it gets right to "the point". No long, drawn out stories. There's also worksheets that can be used for home and at school. Assertive Discipline is a 3-step program...You try it one step at a time. If the first step doesn't work, continue on to the next step. (Just be sure to read the entire book first.) It offers suggestions as: use "I WANT you to..." instead of "You NEED to..." The "broken record" technique is also fabulous! When your child argues with you or comes up with excuses, just use the "broken record" technique...keep repeating your request. I recommend this book to anyone who needs something quick, and easy to understand and read. It's working for us!

We are the parents of an only child. He had a lot of bad learned behavior. This book was recommended to us by a child psychologist and it really has helped us in the discipline area. My son is a different child and gets along better with his peers. This is an excellent book. I'm even buying copies for my friends who are struggling with discipline in their homes.

Every time I feel myself falling into unconstructive patterns of handling my children, I re-read this book. It renews my confidence to deal with everyday parenting challenges by "putting the ball in their court". As they grow, Assertive Discipline for Parents grows with them because it contains suggestions for all ages.